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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: net · chip · bore · nail · ground · current · chair · mouse

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — for catching
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. current — of water
  11. net — after costs
  12. chip — for betting
  13. ground — the earth
  14. chair — a leader
  15. current — happening now
  16. net — in sport
  17. bore — to tire
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. current — electric
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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