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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
468
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: nail · sharp · net · bat · pitcher · wind · snap · racket

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wind — moving air
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bat — the animal
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — in sport
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to click
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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