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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — for catching
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. branch — a division
  5. object — an aim
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. object — to protest
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. object — a thing
  11. tube — the underground
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. net — in sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. tube — a container
  21. net — after costs
  22. court — of a king
  23. hand — in cards
  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