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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. kick — in football
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. file — a tool
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. file — a document
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. board — a committee
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. board — to get on
  19. rock — a stone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. nail — for a hammer

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