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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. current — of water
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. object — a thing
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. current — happening now
  14. drill — army training
  15. object — an aim
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. drill — a practice
  18. current — electric
  19. bound — obliged
  20. object — to protest
  21. court — of law
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. drill — the tool
  24. dip — to sink

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