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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: last · nail · pound · mark · racket · ruler · foot · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. last — to go on
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. foot — a measure
  12. current — electric
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. mark — a trace
  15. last — final
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — happening now
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — finally
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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