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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: stem · game · cabinet · current · pitch · stock · swing · lash

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stock — goods
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. swing — music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. current — happening now
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stem — to come from
  22. swing — to play on
  23. game — a match
  24. current — electric

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