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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: pitcher · spring · can · court · track · mouse · swing · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of law
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spring — the season
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. spring — of water
  13. track — a path
  14. court — for sport
  15. track — to keep track
  16. court — of a king
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. spring — a coil
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — a tin

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