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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: cabinet · tube · foot · firm · pitch · wake · hand · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wake — a trail
  6. firm — decided
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitch — completely
  10. firm — a company
  11. firm — steady
  12. hand — help
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. current — of water
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. current — electric
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hand — in cards

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