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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: game · current · last · spell · cabinet · club · stem · pitch

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. club — for golf
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. game — a match
  11. current — electric
  12. spell — magic
  13. game — wild animals
  14. club — a group
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. current — of water
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitch — completely
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. last — final
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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