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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: track · last · pitch · drill · file · nail · fork · fine

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — a path
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fork — in a road
  6. file — a document
  7. drill — army training
  8. last — finally
  9. track — a song
  10. pitch — completely
  11. file — a tool
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. last — final
  14. fine — high quality
  15. track — to keep track
  16. drill — the tool
  17. fine — all right
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. last — to go on
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. drill — a practice
  24. fork — a garden tool

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