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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. land — ground
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mine — for digging
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. craft — a skill
  11. can — a tin
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. current — of water
  16. land — to come down
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — happening now
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. craft — boats

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