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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — army training
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. key — the most important part
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fork — in a road
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. key — in music
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bulb — for light
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. foot — a measure

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