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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: staff · race · drill · rock · net · foot · suit · hand

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. hand — help
  3. suit — clothes
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. drill — a practice
  7. race — a contest
  8. rock — a stone
  9. staff — employees
  10. race — humankind
  11. drill — the tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. suit — in cards
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. staff — employees
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hand — in cards
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — music
  22. suit — to fit
  23. drill — army training
  24. staff — a stick

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