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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 · bay · jam · bound · kid · pass · nail · net

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. kid — to tease
  6. net — after costs
  7. kid — child
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fine — all right
  15. bound — certain
  16. net — in sport
  17. fine — high quality
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. net — for catching
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fine — a penalty

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