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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: racket · spell · current · kick · pitch · ground · mine · cabinet

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. current — of water
  3. ground — the earth
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. current — happening now
  13. ground — crushed
  14. spell — magic
  15. current — electric
  16. spell — letters
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — a position
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. kick — in football
  22. spell — a short time
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cabinet — ministers

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