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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: pitcher · bound · fan · face · prune · court · rock · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — part of the head
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. court — of law
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. court — for sport
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bound — certain
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. face — to point toward
  18. court — of a king
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. face — to confront
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. prune — to trim

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