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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: mine · ball · pitcher · cue · stem · pound · race · current

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  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. mine — for digging
  2. race — a contest
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. race — humankind
  5. ball — a dance
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. current — electric
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. race — the arms race
  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