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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. current — happening now
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bank — for money
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — of a river
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cold — not warm
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bank — for money
  22. current — electric
  23. prune — to trim
  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