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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: racket · mate · current · lean · row · club · stem · mark

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. row — to paddle
  3. club — for dancing
  4. mate — to breed
  5. lean — thin
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. row — a line
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. club — for golf
  10. lean — to bend
  11. stem — to come from
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mate — a partner
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. club — a group
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mark — a grade
  21. current — of water
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a trace

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