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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · row · dip · season · pitcher · nail · drill · march

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. season — in sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bear — the animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. march — the month
  10. drill — army training
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. march — the month
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. drill — a practice
  20. row — a line
  21. march — music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. season — of the year

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