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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: rule · fork · trunk · drill · sharp · club · pitcher · nail

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. trunk — of a tree
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. drill — army training
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rule — government
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. drill — a practice
  20. rule — a law
  21. sharp — clever
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. club — for dancing
  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