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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: fan · stock · stem · cabinet · rush · pitcher · degree · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. degree — temperature
  3. degree — an amount
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stock — goods
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. current — electric
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stock — shares
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rush — hurry
  18. current — happening now
  19. degree — from a university
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rush — to hurry

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