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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: drill · stand · current · wound · cell · suit · row · pitcher

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. current — of water
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. suit — clothes
  6. current — electric
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. wound — an injury
  9. stand — to bear
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wound — an injury
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. suit — to fit
  19. row — to paddle
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cell — a phone
  23. current — happening now
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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