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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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. dip — to sink
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. land — a country
  6. cue — a hint
  7. cue — for pool
  8. land — ground
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cue — a signal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. land — to come down
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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