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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: nail · perch · suit · spring · bound · net · staff · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spring — the season
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spring — a coil
  8. staff — employees
  9. squash — the sport
  10. suit — in cards
  11. staff — employees
  12. squash — to crush
  13. net — in sport
  14. perch — the fish
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — tied together
  19. net — after costs
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — for catching
  24. spring — of water

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