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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: bat · pitch · nail · last · current · cell · cabinet · bank

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. current — of water
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bat — the animal
  9. current — electric
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cell — in biology
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bank — for money
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — finally
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bank — of a river
  23. current — happening now
  24. last — to go on

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