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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.

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: nail · net · wound · stick · rock · season · cabinet · pit

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. net — in sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. season — of the year
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pit — a hole
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. net — after costs
  18. season — in sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — for catching
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rock — a stone

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