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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 · mark · pit · pitcher · mine · hand · fan · ruler

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hand — in cards
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. hand — help
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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