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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: can · mug · pitch · cell · stand · current · land · mine

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pitch — completely
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — electric
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mug — a face
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cell — in biology
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. current — of water
  16. stand — to bear
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. land — ground
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mug — to rob
  23. land — a country
  24. mine — an explosive

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