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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: board · stem · safe · racket · shower · current · ground · calf

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ground — the earth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. current — of water
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. shower — rain
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. current — electric
  12. board — to get on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. ground — a position
  15. board — a committee
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. current — happening now
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ground — crushed
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. shower — to wash
  24. calf — of the leg

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