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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: pit · stem · safe · shower · coach · deal · current · capital

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. shower — rain
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — of water
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. capital — a city
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. capital — money
  16. deal — to handle
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pit — a hole
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — to wash
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pit — in a race
  24. coach — a trainer

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