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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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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: file · net · nail · branch · bark · court · can · deal

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. net — in sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. file — a tool
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. deal — to handle
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. can — a tin
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. can — to be able to
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. file — a line of people
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. court — of a king
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a document
  23. court — for sport
  24. bark — to shout

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