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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: current · stem · track · clip · fan · saw · pass · field

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. current — happening now
  3. track — a path
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — electric
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. field — for sport
  11. clip — a video
  12. current — of water
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. track — a song
  15. pass — a permit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. field — a subject
  22. clip — for paper
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. field — farmland

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