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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: ball · staff · stem · club · pop · straw · mark · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pop — soda
  4. stem — to come from
  5. current — of water
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pop — music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. club — for golf
  12. mark — a grade
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. club — a group
  20. current — electric
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — dry grass

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