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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: pop · arm · pitcher · ground · rest · key · drill · nail

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. drill — a practice
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — a position
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — the tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pop — to visit
  14. drill — army training
  15. pop — soda
  16. key — in music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — for a lock
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. key — the most important part

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