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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 120 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: patient · mark · pit · nail · spell · band · bay · net

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mark — a grade
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — in sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a hole
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. band — a music group
  20. spell — a short time
  21. band — a ring
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. spell — magic
  24. mark — a trace

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