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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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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: deal · fork · drill · nail · rock · swing · march · snap

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — the tool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. swing — music
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. swing — in golf
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. snap — to click
  14. swing — to play on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. drill — a practice
  19. march — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. march — the month
  22. deal — to handle
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. march — the month

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