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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bark · mug · drill · object · fan · pitcher · game

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. drill — a practice
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — army training
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. object — a thing
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mug — a face
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mug — a cup
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. game — wild animals
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. object — an aim
  24. bark — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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