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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: fine · nail · club · stand · ground · net · kid · mouse

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fine — all right
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ground — crushed
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. stand — to bear
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. club — a group

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