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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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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: root · stem · current · mark · cue · pitch · fall · hand

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. fall — the season
  3. current — happening now
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. mark — a trace
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. root — of a word
  12. fall — to drop
  13. root — the cause
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hand — help
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cue — a signal
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mark — a grade
  23. current — of water
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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