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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: foot · saw · nail · suit · club · firm · land · degree

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. land — ground
  6. club — for dancing
  7. suit — to fit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — in cards
  10. firm — steady
  11. club — for golf
  12. suit — clothes
  13. firm — a company
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — a group
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. degree — an amount
  22. firm — decided
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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