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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rush — hurry
  3. cell — a phone
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. net — in sport
  8. cell — in biology
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. net — after costs
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bank — for money
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. net — for catching
  21. cap — of ice
  22. current — happening now
  23. stock — goods
  24. rush — to hurry

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