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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 120 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: sharp · nail · bass · racket · fan · stand · key · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. sharp — clever
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bass — low music
  17. key — in music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stand — to bear
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fan — to cool the air

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