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

Word bank: nail · rock · current · board · wake · stick · bat · sharp

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. current — electric
  4. board — to get on
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. sharp — clever
  13. current — happening now
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. current — of water
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. board — a committee
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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