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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: roll · can · land · saw · rock · stick · pitcher · nail

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. can — to be able to
  10. roll — a list
  11. land — ground
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. land — to come down
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rock — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — a country
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. can — a tin
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. rock — a stone

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