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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. club — for dancing
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. current — electric
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bank — for money
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. club — a group
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. current — of water
  21. club — for golf
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of a king
  24. bank — of a river

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