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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. race — the arms race
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. charge — in control
  5. current — electric
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. charge — electricity
  8. clip — for paper
  9. charge — a price
  10. clip — to cut
  11. current — happening now
  12. craft — boats
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. current — of water
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. race — a contest
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. clip — a video
  19. track — a path
  20. stem — to come from
  21. race — humankind
  22. craft — a skill
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com