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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
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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: net · object · game · cell · rush · bound · season · nail

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bound — obliged
  5. season — in sport
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. net — for catching
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. object — an aim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. object — a thing
  15. cell — a phone
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. game — a match
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — in sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. net — after costs
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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