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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. rush — hurry
  4. current — happening now
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — to come from
  7. club — for dancing
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. club — a group
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. current — of water
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. current — electric
  20. club — for golf
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — a trail

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