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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. current — electric
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stock — shares
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stem — to come from
  17. current — of water
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stock — goods
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. stock — a soup base

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