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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: nail · pitcher · row · toast · last · pop · stock · swing

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. swing — in golf
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pop — music
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. swing — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. last — final
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stock — shares
  16. swing — to play on
  17. last — finally
  18. row — a line
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stock — goods
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — to go on
  23. row — to paddle
  24. toast — bread

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