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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: can · stem · pound · press · spring · racket · squash · current

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. current — electric
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. can — a tin
  11. current — happening now
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. spring — the season
  14. press — to push
  15. press — newspapers
  16. current — of water
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pound — a weight
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spring — of water
  24. press — a publisher

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