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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · deal · mouse · safe · scale · stem · capital · root

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. stem — to come from
  3. capital — a city
  4. current — of water
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. root — of a plant
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. current — electric
  12. scale — size or range
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — to handle
  16. capital — money
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. current — happening now
  24. scale — in music

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