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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — to come from
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. current — of water
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. current — happening now
  14. game — a match
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. game — wild animals
  19. current — electric
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. board — to get on
  24. mine — belonging to me

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