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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: mine · club · date · cell · stem · racket · current · firm

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. club — for golf
  4. cell — in biology
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. club — a group
  8. stem — to come from
  9. firm — steady
  10. date — the fruit
  11. current — happening now
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. club — for dancing
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. current — electric
  19. mine — for digging
  20. firm — a company
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. firm — decided
  24. current — of water

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