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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: bat · nail · charge · present · straw · club · sharp · current

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. present — the time now
  3. current — electric
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — in control
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. present — there
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. current — of water
  13. bat — the animal
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. club — for golf
  17. present — a gift
  18. current — happening now
  19. club — a group
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. club — for dancing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — clever
  24. nail — on a finger

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