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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: nail · net · date · fall · ground · current · craft · bear

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — in sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — boats
  11. ground — a position
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fall — the season
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — crushed
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — a skill
  23. net — after costs
  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