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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: nail · mine · mate · swing · coach · spring · bulb · field

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spring — of water
  4. swing — music
  5. spring — a coil
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — for sport
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. field — farmland
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mate — to breed
  15. swing — in golf
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mate — a friend
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spring — the season
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. field — a subject

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