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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: spring · current · ground · stem · key · mate · charge · land

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. key — in music
  3. current — happening now
  4. mate — to breed
  5. land — to come down
  6. key — for a lock
  7. current — electric
  8. land — a country
  9. charge — in control
  10. spring — of water
  11. charge — a price
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — the most important part
  14. land — ground
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mate — a partner
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ground — crushed
  20. spring — the season
  21. ground — the earth
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ground — a position
  24. current — of water

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