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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 116 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: nail · ground · band · fall · can · deal · rush · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. net — after costs
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. net — for catching
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fall — the season
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. deal — to handle
  12. ground — the earth
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. can — a tin
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. band — a music group
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — a position
  24. can — a tin

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