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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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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: dip · current · pass · club · stem · racket · coach · tear

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. current — electric
  5. tear — from crying
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. tear — to rip
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. club — for golf
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. current — of water
  13. dip — to sink
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tear — from crying
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. current — happening now
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. club — a group
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. club — for dancing

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