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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 120 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 · rash · sharp · rest · current · ball · key · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. ball — a great time
  7. sharp — clever
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. current — of water
  10. current — happening now
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rest — what's left
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rest — what's left
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. current — electric
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rest — a break
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — the earth
  24. sharp — exactly

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