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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: pass · nail · object · cell · ground · tube · toast · net

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. object — an aim
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. toast — bread
  10. net — after costs
  11. cell — a phone
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. net — in sport
  14. tube — a container
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — for catching
  17. object — to protest
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. ground — a position
  20. object — a thing
  21. ground — the earth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tube — in a tire

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