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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 · roll · stem · pitch · ground · fan · pass · shower

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. current — happening now
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pass — a permit
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. shower — to wash
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. current — of water
  10. roll — a list
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. shower — rain
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. ground — the earth
  22. roll — a cake
  23. current — electric
  24. ground — a position

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