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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · date · kick · bear · stem · capital · fan · jam

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. capital — money
  9. current — electric
  10. current — happening now
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stem — to come from
  13. capital — a city
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. date — the fruit
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. current — of water
  20. kick — in football
  21. bear — the animal
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fan — to cool the air

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