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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bear — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. scale — size or range
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fan — a supporter

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