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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pit · current · bark · spell · ground · craft · rush · nail

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spell — letters
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. craft — boats
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pit — in a race
  13. current — of water
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. ground — crushed
  16. craft — a skill
  17. ground — a position
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spell — magic
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rush — hurry
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. current — happening now
  24. nail — for a hammer

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