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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: racket · ground · fan · present · land · stem · current · wave

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ground — a position
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — to come from
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — a gift
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ground — the earth
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. ground — crushed
  22. present — there
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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