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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: file · current · trunk · nail · club · pitcher · drill · kick

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. drill — the tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. file — a document
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. club — for golf
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. file — a line of people
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. current — happening now
  13. club — for dancing
  14. drill — a practice
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. current — of water
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. kick — in football
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. drill — army training
  21. club — a group
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. trunk — of a car

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