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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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. land — a country
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. scale — in music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. scale — size or range
  7. current — of water
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stem — to come from
  10. land — to come down
  11. current — electric
  12. capital — money
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — ground
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. board — to get on
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. board — a committee
  20. capital — a city
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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