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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 · deal · rush · pitcher · key · mine · face · bowl

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. key — the most important part
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mine — for digging
  6. key — in music
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. key — for a lock
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. face — to confront
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. face — to point toward
  22. deal — to handle
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. pitcher — a jug

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