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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 120 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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. current — electric
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. game — wild animals
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. foot — a measure
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. game — a match
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stand — for spectators

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