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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. land — a country
  3. firm — decided
  4. charge — electricity
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pop — music
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — ground
  10. current — happening now
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — electric
  16. land — to come down
  17. firm — steady
  18. pop — soda
  19. firm — a company
  20. stem — to come from
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. current — of water

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