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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 120 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: swing · nail · bank · saw · drill · tube · ground · fork

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. saw — the tool
  3. swing — to play on
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. tube — a container
  6. swing — music
  7. ground — a position
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bank — of a river
  13. fork — in a road
  14. swing — in golf
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. ground — crushed
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. drill — army training
  24. ground — the earth

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