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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: net · stand · band · spell · nail · swing

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. net — in sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. band — a music group
  5. spell — a short time
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. net — for catching
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — in golf
  11. band — a ring
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spell — letters
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. swing — to play on
  16. net — after costs
  17. spell — magic
  18. nail — on a finger

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