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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 · current · rush · court · track · mouse

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. track — a path
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. rush — hurry
  9. current — happening now
  10. court — of a king
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stem — to come from
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. court — of law
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track

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