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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spring — of water
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. march — the month
  12. rock — music
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rock — a stone

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