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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: racket · can · mark · nail · branch · rash · fine · drill

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rash — a series
  9. branch — a division
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — army training
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rash — hasty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — to be able to
  24. nail — on a finger

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