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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: nail · patient · fan · degree · drill · stick · bowl · swing

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — army training
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. degree — from a university
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. swing — in golf
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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