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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · toast · net · nail · mark · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. 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. land — a country
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. land — to come down
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mark — a trace
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. land — ground
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. net — for catching
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. toast — bread
  15. net — after costs
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rush — hurry
  18. 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