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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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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: net · fork · stick · club · ruler · clip · firm · fine

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — all right
  4. firm — a company
  5. fine — high quality
  6. firm — steady
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. clip — a video
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. clip — for paper
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. firm — decided
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. club — for golf
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. net — for catching
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. net — after costs

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