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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: fork · mate · kid · mine · mug · bass · bowl · nail

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bass — low music
  5. kid — child
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fork — in a road
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mug — a face
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mine — belonging to me

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