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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.

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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: bound · bank · nail · bark · bat · fine · net · saw

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fine — all right
  7. bound — obliged
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — for money
  14. fine — high quality
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bound — certain
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bat — the animal
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — in sport
  24. bat — in an idiom

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