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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. current — electric
  3. club — for golf
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. stock — shares
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stock — goods
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cue — a hint
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. current — happening now
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. root — of a word
  16. cue — a signal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. club — a group
  20. stem — to come from
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. cue — for pool

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