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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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468
Word bank
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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: scale · current · stem · temple · can · ground · club · game

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. stem — to come from
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — crushed
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. club — a group
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. current — electric
  12. club — for golf
  13. ground — the earth
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — size or range
  17. current — happening now
  18. can — to be able to
  19. current — of water
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — a tin
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. scale — for weighing

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