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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. net — after costs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. court — of a king
  6. suit — in cards
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. court — of law
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rush — hurry
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. court — for sport
  24. bank — for money

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