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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.

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: date · nail · track · mouse · plane · club · drill · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. drill — a practice
  3. track — to keep track
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. drill — army training
  6. club — for dancing
  7. plane — a tool
  8. drill — the tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. track — a song
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. track — a path
  15. chair — a leader
  16. club — for golf
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — the fruit
  23. club — a group
  24. date — on the calendar

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