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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: court · nail · staff · mark · deal · bound · mine · saw

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. deal — to handle
  4. mark — a grade
  5. saw — the tool
  6. court — of a king
  7. bound — tied together
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. court — for sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. mine — for digging
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. court — of law
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. staff — employees
  24. nail — for a hammer

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