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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — tied together
  4. current — electric
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. stem — to come from
  11. current — of water
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bound — certain
  14. field — farmland
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — for sport
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bulb — for light
  19. current — happening now
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. field — a subject
  24. mark — a trace

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