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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: current · plane · patient · nail · mate · pitch · band · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — of water
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — completely
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mate — a partner
  8. band — a ring
  9. mate — a friend
  10. current — electric
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. band — a music group
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. plane — a tool
  21. current — happening now
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mate — to breed

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