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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: patient · nail · stand · vault · fork · chip · rash · current

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — to eat
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rash — a series
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rash — hasty
  15. current — electric
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. current — happening now
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stand — to bear
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. current — of water
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. chip — in a computer

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