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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: bay · ruler · nail · club · mark · net · pitcher · cell

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. net — in sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — for dancing
  10. net — after costs
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. net — for catching
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cell — in biology
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cell — a phone

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