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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: kid · stick · bat · prune · ball · swing · nail · staff

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. kid — to tease
  7. swing — to play on
  8. kid — child
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — employees
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. staff — employees
  15. ball — a great time
  16. swing — music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. prune — to trim
  20. swing — in golf
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bat — the animal
  23. staff — a stick
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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