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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 116 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — in sport
  3. capital — money
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. net — after costs
  7. mug — to rob
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. net — for catching
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — a division
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mug — a face
  16. capital — a city
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. branch — of a tree

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