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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rush — hurry
  4. drill — army training
  5. track — a path
  6. drill — the tool
  7. track — to keep track
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. club — for golf
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. snap — to click
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a song
  24. club — a group

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