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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 120 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 · cabinet · last · board · pitcher · tube · club · current

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. club — a group
  11. last — final
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — for golf
  18. last — finally
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — a container
  21. board — to get on
  22. current — electric
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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