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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 116 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: spell · pitcher · wound · pop · squash · nail · drill · deal

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spell — magic
  5. drill — a practice
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wound — an injury
  8. squash — the sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pop — soda
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pop — music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. pop — to visit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. deal — to handle
  21. spell — letters
  22. squash — to crush
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. spell — a short time

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