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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 120 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: rest · saw · mug · mouse · current · land · stem · capital

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. current — happening now
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. land — to come down
  9. capital — a city
  10. rest — what's left
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. rest — what's left
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. rest — a break
  17. mug — a face
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. capital — money
  24. mouse — the animal

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