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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 · fork · nail · staff · bound · race · plane · saw

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. race — humankind
  3. fork — in a road
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bound — obliged
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. race — a contest
  15. bound — certain
  16. saw — the tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. race — the arms race
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. saw — the tool

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