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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. dip — to sink
  6. current — electric
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. current — happening now
  12. land — a country
  13. current — of water
  14. scale — in music
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — size or range
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. land — ground
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. land — to come down
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stem — to come from

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