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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: spring · cabinet · fork · current · pass · pitch · mate · tear

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. spring — a coil
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. tear — to rip
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pass — a permit
  14. current — of water
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. spring — of water
  19. current — electric
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — to breed
  22. current — happening now
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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