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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — for golf
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — for catching
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. club — for dancing
  7. net — after costs
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rule — government
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rule — a law
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. net — in sport
  18. club — a group

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