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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.

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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: ball · tube · stem · mug · bay · pop · current · fall

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. mug — a face
  4. ball — a dance
  5. current — electric
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fall — the season
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pop — soda
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mug — to rob
  13. current — happening now
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pop — music
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. tube — a container
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. current — of water

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