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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · kick · chest · stem · stock · tube · current · pass

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. current — electric
  3. chest — of your body
  4. kick — in football
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. chest — a box
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — to come from
  12. current — of water
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. current — happening now
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. tube — a container
  21. bat — the animal
  22. stock — goods
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stock — shares

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