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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. current — electric
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. current — happening now
  6. club — for golf
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. current — of water
  10. wake — a trail
  11. last — to go on
  12. last — final
  13. club — a group
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. last — finally
  19. mark — a grade
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bear — the animal

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