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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: race · current · wake · pit · present · stem · content · track

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. race — humankind
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pit — a hole
  6. present — there
  7. race — the arms race
  8. current — of water
  9. content — happy
  10. present — the time now
  11. current — electric
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. track — to keep track
  14. current — happening now
  15. race — a contest
  16. track — a song
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. present — a gift
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stem — to come from
  22. track — a path
  23. content — the amount
  24. pit — in a race

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