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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 120 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: stick · nail · row · chip · mark · bass · current · foot

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — happening now
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. chip — to eat
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — a line
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mark — a grade
  23. row — to paddle
  24. current — electric

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