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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. charge — a price
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. net — for catching
  6. sharp — clever
  7. row — a line
  8. net — in sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. net — after costs
  11. row — to paddle
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. charge — electricity
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. foot — a measure
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. drill — army training
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. charge — in control
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. drill — the tool
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. drill — a practice

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