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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: cue · game · root · mark · stem · current · hand · safe

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. hand — help
  5. root — of a plant
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — in cards
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mark — a trace
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — to come from
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cue — a hint
  20. root — of a word
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. root — the cause
  23. mark — a grade
  24. safe — a strongbox

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