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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 120 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: cap · stem · shower · bear · deal · current · stock · club

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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 — of a plant
  2. current — of water
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. current — electric
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stem — to come from
  8. club — for golf
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stock — shares
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. cap — a lid
  16. shower — to wash
  17. cap — of ice
  18. shower — rain
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stock — goods
  21. deal — to handle
  22. current — happening now
  23. club — a group
  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