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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. date — the fruit
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. capital — a city
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. fine — high quality
  13. capital — money
  14. current — of water
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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