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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cue — for pool
  3. current — electric
  4. club — for golf
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. current — happening now
  8. rule — a law
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cue — a signal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rest — what's left
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. current — of water
  19. rule — government
  20. rest — a break
  21. club — a group
  22. rest — what's left
  23. stem — to come from
  24. trunk — of a car

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