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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
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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: current · mate · stem · wind · pitcher · saw · net · vault

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. current — happening now
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. mate — a friend
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wind — moving air
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. vault — a safe
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. current — electric
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — of water
  14. net — for catching
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. wind — to turn a key

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