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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: jam · fan · content · net · racket · kick · nail · wind

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. net — after costs
  11. content — the amount
  12. net — in sport
  13. kick — in football
  14. wind — moving air
  15. net — for catching
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. content — happy
  22. wind — moving air
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wind — to turn a key

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