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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 116 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. march — music
  6. current — happening now
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pit — a hole
  11. board — a committee
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. tube — the underground
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. current — electric
  20. wake — a trail
  21. tube — a container
  22. board — to get on
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. tube — in a tire

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