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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 116 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: cue · clip · file · prune · stem · racket · board · current

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cue — a signal
  4. current — of water
  5. file — a document
  6. clip — for paper
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. current — electric
  9. board — to get on
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. board — a committee
  13. prune — to trim
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — a video
  16. file — a tool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. current — happening now
  24. file — a line of people

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