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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
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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: jam · swing · bat · bay · date · squash · nail · mine

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. swing — to play on
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — music
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. mine — for digging
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. date — the fruit
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mine — an explosive

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