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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: fan · stock · current · nail · file · row · ball · bass

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. bass — the fish
  3. stock — goods
  4. ball — a great time
  5. current — happening now
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bass — low music
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. file — a tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stock — shares
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ball — a dance
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. current — of water
  24. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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