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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · drill · wake · bear · fan · nail · scale · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. scale — in music
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. scale — size or range
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wake — a trail
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bear — the animal

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