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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: land · net · nail · mark · stick · racket · content · prune

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. land — ground
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — in sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — a country
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. mark — a grade
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — happy
  24. mark — to pay attention

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