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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · season · racket · pound · bank · nail · swing · fine

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fine — all right
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bank — of a river
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. spring — of water
  12. swing — in golf
  13. fine — high quality
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. swing — music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. season — of the year
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. swing — to play on

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