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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: season · nail · calf · club · net · fan · bore · mug

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — after costs
  3. club — for golf
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. net — in sport
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. net — for catching
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — in sport
  14. mug — a cup
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mug — to rob
  17. season — of the year
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. club — a group
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mug — a face
  24. bore — gave birth

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