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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: toast · ground · swing · staff · kid · nail · land · sharp

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. land — ground
  5. sharp — clever
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. land — to come down
  8. swing — music
  9. ground — crushed
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. land — a country
  14. toast — bread
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — to tease
  17. swing — in golf
  18. ground — a position
  19. ground — the earth
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. swing — to play on
  24. nail — for a hammer

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