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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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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: drill · pound · mine · ruler · stock · bowl · fork · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stock — shares
  5. drill — the tool
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. drill — army training
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stock — goods
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pound — a weight
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. drill — a practice

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