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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: wind · nail · stand · current · bass · file · club · fork

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fork — in a road
  7. club — for golf
  8. stand — to bear
  9. file — a line of people
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — of water
  13. club — a group
  14. wind — moving air
  15. current — happening now
  16. bass — low music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. club — for dancing
  22. current — electric
  23. file — a tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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