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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: mark · stem · bank · mate · mine · rule · current · perch

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. current — of water
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bank — for money
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. current — happening now
  20. bank — for money
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. perch — the fish

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