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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. roll — a cake
  3. club — a group
  4. mine — for digging
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. club — for dancing
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. current — electric
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. current — of water
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pit — a hole
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. roll — a list
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. current — happening now
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pit — in a race
  24. club — for golf

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