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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · cue · kid · current · bowl · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. current — happening now
  3. stem — to come from
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cue — for pool
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. cue — a signal
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — to tease
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. kid — child
  18. bowl — to roll

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