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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: cabinet · pitcher · mark · stem · content · club · current · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. content — happy
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. stem — to come from
  6. club — for golf
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. club — a group
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. content — the amount
  15. current — of water
  16. current — happening now
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. board — a committee
  24. current — electric

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