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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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Word bank
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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: fine · nail · ball · bark · staff · rush

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ball — a dance
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. staff — employees
  14. bark — to shout
  15. staff — employees
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rush — a thrill

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