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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.

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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: pass · current · pound · present · stem · club · tube · squash

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. squash — to crush
  6. tube — a container
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stem — to come from
  10. club — for dancing
  11. current — happening now
  12. club — a group
  13. present — the time now
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. present — a gift
  19. current — of water
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. current — electric
  22. present — there
  23. squash — the sport
  24. tube — the underground

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