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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: mug · bear · ground · nail · roll · suit · fork · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mug — a face
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. roll — a cake
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ground — the earth
  8. roll — a list
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bear — the animal
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ground — crushed
  14. suit — clothes
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. suit — to fit
  19. ground — a position
  20. drill — army training
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. suit — in cards

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