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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 116 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 · swing · net · nail · clip · calf · mate · rash

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. 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. nail — for a hammer
  2. swing — music
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a partner
  6. swing — in golf
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. clip — to cut
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mate — a friend
  11. net — in sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — for catching
  14. mate — to breed
  15. net — after costs
  16. rash — a series
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. clip — a video
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. clip — for paper
  24. 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