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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: nail · stock · cue · current · toast · cap · roll · rash

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. roll — a cake
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — of water
  6. current — happening now
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. cap — a hat
  10. rash — a series
  11. cap — a lid
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cue — for pool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. cap — of ice
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rash — hasty
  19. toast — bread
  20. roll — a list
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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