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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stem · file · bowl · foot · scale · wound · current · chair

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. wound — an injury
  5. current — happening now
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. foot — a measure
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. file — a document
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chair — a leader
  15. scale — in music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. file — a tool
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stem — to come from
  23. current — electric
  24. wound — an injury

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