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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: ruler · bat · bound · wind · drill · nail · bowl · stock

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. drill — a practice
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. drill — army training
  5. bound — tied together
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stock — goods
  8. bound — certain
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bound — obliged
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bat — the animal
  17. stock — shares
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stock — a soup base
  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