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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: current · charge · pit · content · staff · cabinet · bat · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. pit — in a race
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. current — of water
  10. content — the amount
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. current — happening now
  17. stem — to come from
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bat — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pit — a hole

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