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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.

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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: squash · stick · nail · mine · fine · racket · row · rest

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — what's left
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. row — a line
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. squash — to crush
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rest — a break
  23. fine — all right
  24. row — to paddle

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