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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: ground · plane · scale · shower · chip · stem · kick · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. chip — to eat
  3. shower — rain
  4. scale — size or range
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. current — happening now
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. ground — crushed
  11. current — electric
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. ground — a position
  17. stem — to come from
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. scale — in music
  23. plane — a tool
  24. kick — in football

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