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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: spring · current · date · pop · stem · clip · club · rush

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. stem — to come from
  4. current — of water
  5. spring — of water
  6. pop — to visit
  7. clip — a video
  8. date — the fruit
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — a group
  11. pop — soda
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. club — for golf
  14. rush — hurry
  15. spring — a coil
  16. current — happening now
  17. clip — to cut
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spring — the season
  24. clip — for paper

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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