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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: stem · current · plane · chip · march · rock · swing · fork

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. current — happening now
  3. march — the month
  4. swing — music
  5. current — electric
  6. march — the month
  7. fork — in a road
  8. plane — a tool
  9. march — music
  10. stem — to come from
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. swing — to play on
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. current — of water
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chip — to eat
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. chip — for betting

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