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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 · nail · current · firm · object · board · lash · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. net — after costs
  3. object — to protest
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. firm — a company
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. current — happening now
  8. board — a committee
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. current — of water
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. net — in sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — for catching
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. firm — decided
  18. board — to get on
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. object — an aim
  21. current — electric
  22. object — a thing
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. firm — steady

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