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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: fork · spell · rock · drill · pitch · bound · fall · mine

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fork — in a road
  5. spell — magic
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bound — certain
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pitch — completely
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fall — the season
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. rock — music
  22. spell — letters
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bound — obliged

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