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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: pass · cold · bay · mine · current · stem · pitch · drill

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. drill — a practice
  4. current — electric
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. current — of water
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. stem — to come from
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. drill — army training
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. current — happening now
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cold — an illness
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. cold — not warm

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