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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.

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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: ground · prune · firm · nail · net · pit · rash · mug

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mug — to rob
  4. firm — steady
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. ground — the earth
  8. firm — decided
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pit — in a race
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. rash — a series
  16. mug — a face
  17. net — for catching
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. prune — to trim
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. firm — a company
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — hasty
  24. ground — a position

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