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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: content · current · object · squash · bank · stem · mine · bass

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. object — an aim
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — to crush
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. bass — low music
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. object — a thing
  11. squash — the sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. bank — for money
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. current — electric
  16. bank — for money
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bank — of a river
  19. content — the amount
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. content — happy
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bass — the instrument

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