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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 116 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 · current · scale · drill · stock · firm · game · racket

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — the tool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. stock — goods
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. drill — army training
  10. game — a match
  11. scale — in music
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. scale — size or range
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — a practice
  18. current — happening now
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. game — wild animals
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. current — of water
  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