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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 · pit · present · last · mine · pop · roll · nail

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. pop — soda
  3. mine — for digging
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — a hole
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. present — there
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — music
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. present — the time now
  15. roll — a list
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. pop — to visit
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. last — finally
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. present — a gift
  24. nail — on a finger

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