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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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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 · board · deal · sharp · nail · prune · mark · temple

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. board — to get on
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mark — a grade
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mark — a trace
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. sharp — clever
  21. net — after costs
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

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