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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. prune — to trim
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — to fit
  14. perch — the fish
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. perch — for a bird

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