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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 120 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: bark · drill · object · nail · firm · cue · squash · stick

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cue — a signal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — to shout
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. object — to protest
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. squash — to crush
  17. object — a thing
  18. object — an aim
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. squash — the sport
  24. drill — army training

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