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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: nail · firm · bat · craft · rash · current · net · mate

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. craft — boats
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. firm — decided
  5. current — happening now
  6. net — in sport
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. current — electric
  12. net — for catching
  13. current — of water
  14. rash — a series
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mate — a friend
  17. firm — steady
  18. firm — a company
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bat — the animal
  23. net — after costs
  24. rash — hasty

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