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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · drill · pitcher · plane · stock · squash · current · stem

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. stem — to come from
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. stock — goods
  6. current — electric
  7. drill — the tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. plane — a tool
  10. stock — shares
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. club — for dancing
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. squash — the sport
  20. current — of water
  21. club — for golf
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stock — a soup base

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