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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 · fine · key · season · pop · nail · trunk · bank

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pop — music
  5. fine — high quality
  6. season — in sport
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. key — in music
  9. net — for catching
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. key — the most important part
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — soda
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — all right
  16. bank — for money
  17. pop — to visit
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — of a river
  20. net — after costs
  21. key — for a lock
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. season — of the year

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