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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: mouse · ground · pitcher · lean · ruler · fork · nail · present

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — thin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. present — there
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. present — the time now
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. ground — a position
  20. present — a gift
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. lean — to bend
  24. nail — for a hammer

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