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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: pop · stem · tube · current · shower · chip · patient · plane

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tube — a container
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. pop — music
  9. current — electric
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. shower — to wash
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pop — soda
  16. stem — to come from
  17. current — of water
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. shower — rain
  23. pop — to visit
  24. tube — the underground

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