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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: net · pitcher · hand · nail · race · jam · drill · temple

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. race — the arms race
  3. hand — in cards
  4. drill — army training
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. race — humankind
  7. net — in sport
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. drill — a practice
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. drill — the tool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. net — after costs
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. hand — help
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. race — a contest

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