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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: nail · drill · pass · fan · bowl · pitcher · branch · tube

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. tube — the underground
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — a practice
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pass — a permit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. branch — a division
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tube — a container
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. drill — army training
  24. pass — to succeed

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