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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: cabinet · ground · bark · fall · current · jam · rock · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. rock — music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ground — the earth
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rock — a stone
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. ground — a position
  18. current — electric
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bark — to shout
  22. fall — to drop
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — the season

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