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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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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: fine · pound · nail · dip · pass · jam · perch · drill

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. perch — the fish
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. drill — army training
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pound — a weight
  8. dip — to sink
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. fine — all right
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pass — a permit
  24. drill — the 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