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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: board · stock · last · deal · spell · mate · current · pitch

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. board — a committee
  3. pitch — completely
  4. current — happening now
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stock — goods
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. board — to get on
  10. spell — letters
  11. last — to go on
  12. deal — to handle
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mate — to breed
  16. last — final
  17. mate — a friend
  18. current — of water
  19. mate — a partner
  20. stock — shares
  21. last — finally
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. stock — a soup base

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