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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
468
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: bulb · racket · stem · current · present · roll · mate · cold

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. roll — a list
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cold — not warm
  8. present — a gift
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. present — the time now
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. present — there
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cold — an illness
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mate — to breed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a partner

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