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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 116 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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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 · row · bass · pitch · tear · wind · fork · chip

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bass — the fish
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. row — a line
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bass — low music
  24. tear — to rip

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