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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: spell · fine · swing · pop · nail · drill · craft · perch

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — a short time
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. pop — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fine — high quality
  9. swing — to play on
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. pop — to visit
  13. swing — in golf
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. perch — the fish
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. swing — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. fine — all right
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. perch — for a bird

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