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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: current · stem · fine · pit · lean · spring · ground · cue

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. current — happening now
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ground — a position
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cue — a signal
  12. ground — the earth
  13. spring — of water
  14. pit — a hole
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cue — a hint
  18. current — electric
  19. lean — thin
  20. current — of water
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cue — for pool

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