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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: fall · bear · current · nail · present · bass · net · cue

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bear — the animal
  3. current — electric
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bass — low music
  6. net — after costs
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the fish
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. current — of water
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. current — happening now
  15. present — there
  16. net — for catching
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fall — to drop
  23. net — in sport
  24. fall — to drop

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