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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: stem · current · rush · court · track · mouse · cell · bear

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — of law
  5. stem — to come from
  6. current — electric
  7. rush — hurry
  8. track — a path
  9. current — happening now
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. court — for sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — of water
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. track — a song
  19. court — of a king
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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