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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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468
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: last · net · drill · cabinet · current · charge · trunk · pitch

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. current — happening now
  5. charge — in control
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — finally
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. current — of water
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. current — electric
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. last — final
  20. charge — electricity
  21. drill — a practice
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. charge — a price
  24. pitch — completely

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