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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: stem · bulb · jam · mark · fork · row · date · current

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. current — electric
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. fork — in a road
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. mark — a grade
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. row — a line
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. row — to paddle
  24. jam — a tight spot

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