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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. content — the amount
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. current — electric
  7. content — happy
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stem — to come from
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — rain
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. object — a thing
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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