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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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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 · mate · chip · band · pound · bear · racket · fork

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pound — a weight
  11. band — a music group
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fork — to eat with

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