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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. current — happening now
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. game — a match
  12. pop — music
  13. fork — in a road
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. current — of water
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. current — electric
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — low music

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