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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: row · nail · dip · root · pitcher · mug · march · saw

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. march — the month
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — to sink
  6. row — to paddle
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. march — the month
  9. mug — to rob
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mug — a cup
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. root — of a plant
  14. march — music
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. row — a line
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — a face
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. root — of a word
  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