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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: net · dip · stick · leaves · club · fine · nail · sharp

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. club — for dancing
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. club — for golf
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. net — after costs
  19. dip — to sink
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — in sport
  22. club — a group
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. net — for catching

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