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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — for money
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. capital — a city
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bank — for money
  13. branch — a division
  14. hand — help
  15. capital — money
  16. rush — hurry
  17. stand — to bear
  18. net — after costs
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bank — of a river
  24. stand — on your feet

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