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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 · can · cue · file · fork · current · stick · squash

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. current — electric
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — a signal
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. can — a tin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. can — to be able to
  16. stem — to come from
  17. file — a document
  18. cue — a hint
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a tool
  21. squash — to crush
  22. current — of water
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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