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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: land · cabinet · kick · safe · club · stem · rock · current

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. land — ground
  6. kick — in football
  7. current — of water
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. current — happening now
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — electric
  12. land — a country
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. club — for dancing
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. land — to come down
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. club — for golf

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