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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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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 · cap · pass · snap · band · fine · race

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. current — happening now
  3. race — a contest
  4. cap — a lid
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stem — to come from
  13. band — a ring
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cap — of ice
  16. current — electric
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fine — high quality
  21. current — of water
  22. fine — all right
  23. snap — to click
  24. stem — a stem cell

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