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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 · pitcher · file · stem · pit · rock · bound · roll

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bound — obliged
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bound — certain
  14. roll — a cake
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. file — a tool
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. bound — tied together
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. roll — a list

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