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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: drill · cell · chair · pitcher · bay · nail · current · date

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. drill — army training
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. current — of water
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. cell — in biology
  15. current — electric
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cell — a phone
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — happening now

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