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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: stand · current · spring · band · content · swing · object · stem

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spring — of water
  4. current — happening now
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. object — an aim
  7. current — electric
  8. content — happy
  9. stand — to bear
  10. current — of water
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. swing — to play on
  18. content — the amount
  19. swing — in golf
  20. object — to protest
  21. band — a music group
  22. object — a thing
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — 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