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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 116 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: wake · current · rock · race · scale · cue · present · stem

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. cue — a signal
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. current — happening now
  8. present — the time now
  9. cue — for pool
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. cue — a hint
  12. present — there
  13. current — of water
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. scale — in music
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wake — a trail
  18. present — a gift
  19. race — a contest
  20. current — electric
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — humankind
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rock — music

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