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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. drill — the tool
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. cue — a signal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — shares
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cue — a hint
  21. cue — for pool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. stock — goods

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