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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: jam · stick · bowl · staff · drill · land · band · nail

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. land — ground
  3. land — a country
  4. drill — army training
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. staff — a stick
  7. drill — a practice
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. staff — employees
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a music group
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. land — to come down
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. band — a ring

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