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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 · squash · bark · deal · net · mark · nail · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. net — for catching
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. mark — a trace
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fine — all right
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. net — in sport
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. net — after costs
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bark — to shout
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. deal — to handle

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