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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 · firm · field · band · nail · rash · pit · bulb

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. field — farmland
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. net — after costs
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — a company
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. pit — a hole
  11. firm — decided
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. field — a subject
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. field — for sport
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. firm — steady
  24. band — a ring

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