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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 120 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. current — of water
  3. land — to come down
  4. current — happening now
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. track — a path
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. sharp — clever
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. current — electric
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — a song
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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