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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: content · nail · fine · ground · wound · leaves · field · racket

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. ground — a position
  5. field — farmland
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — the earth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. field — a subject
  15. wound — an injury
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. ground — crushed
  20. field — for sport
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. leaves — to go away

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