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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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. current — electric
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. cue — a hint
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. root — of a plant
  11. current — happening now
  12. root — of a word
  13. press — to push
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. craft — boats
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. current — of water
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. craft — a skill
  23. root — the cause
  24. stem — to come from

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