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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: sharp · drill · track · nail · fork · scale · leaves · bank

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. scale — in music
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. track — a song
  13. bank — for money
  14. drill — a practice
  15. fork — in a road
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. track — a path
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bank — of a river

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