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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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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. roll — a list
  3. last — finally
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. last — final
  8. last — to go on
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chip — to eat
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wake — a trail

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