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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · club · content · bay · tube · game · lean

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. game — wild animals
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fine — all right
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. content — happy
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. club — for golf
  14. fine — high quality
  15. game — a match
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. lean — to bend
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. tube — a container
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tube — the underground
  23. content — the amount
  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