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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. file — a document
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. board — to get on
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. board — a committee
  7. net — in sport
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — electric
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fork — in a road
  15. sharp — clever
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — after costs
  20. file — a tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — of water
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — a flat piece

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