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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. net — for catching
  6. firm — a company
  7. branch — a division
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. firm — decided
  10. toast — bread
  11. firm — steady
  12. race — a contest
  13. court — for sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. race — humankind
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a music group
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. court — of law
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. race — the arms race
  23. court — of a king
  24. net — in sport

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