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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: lean · stem · current · ruler · fan · stick · pound · court

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. current — happening now
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. current — of water
  12. current — electric
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — to come from
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. court — of law
  19. lean — to bend
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. court — of a king
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. court — for sport

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