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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. current — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. field — farmland
  11. date — the fruit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. current — happening now
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stem — to come from
  18. field — for sport
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. ball — a great time
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. current — electric

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