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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: pop · stem · stand · shower · root · content · cue · current

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cue — a signal
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pop — to visit
  6. stand — to bear
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stem — to come from
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. pop — music
  11. current — happening now
  12. pop — soda
  13. content — happy
  14. current — of water
  15. cue — for pool
  16. content — the amount
  17. shower — to wash
  18. root — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a word

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