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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 116 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: ball · nail · band · charge · pitcher · saw · wound · bat

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a music group
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wound — an injury
  12. charge — electricity
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ball — a dance
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. charge — a price
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ball — a great time
  21. band — a ring
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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