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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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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: game · drill · pop · chair · trunk · fork · nail · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. game — wild animals
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pop — soda
  15. drill — a practice
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. pop — music
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. chair — a leader
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fork — in a road

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