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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — of water
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. current — electric
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spring — the season
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. perch — the fish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — all right
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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