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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: current · bass · mark · racket · firm · stem · bark · face

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. firm — a company
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — of water
  7. face — to confront
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — part of the head
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. firm — steady
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — electric
  16. bass — the fish
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. current — happening now
  19. bass — low music
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. mark — a trace
  24. bark — to shout

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