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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 120 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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. current — happening now
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — electric
  6. current — of water
  7. band — a music group
  8. key — in music
  9. drill — the tool
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stem — to come from
  14. drill — army training
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. band — a ring
  17. drill — a practice
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. land — to come down
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. band — a rubber band

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