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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.

Make a worksheet

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: nail · hand · leaves · net · pit · mine · present · fork

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — after costs
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. present — the time now
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. hand — help
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mine — for digging
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. net — for catching
  19. net — in sport
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pit — in a race

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