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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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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. object — to protest
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. net — after costs
  6. ball — a dance
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. object — a thing
  9. drill — a practice
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stem — to come from
  12. drill — the tool
  13. staff — employees
  14. net — in sport
  15. branch — a division
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. object — an aim
  20. staff — a stick
  21. drill — army training
  22. ball — a great time
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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