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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: mine · spring · pit · ground · nail · board · swing · vault

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. board — to get on
  5. ground — crushed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pit — in a race
  13. spring — of water
  14. swing — in golf
  15. board — a committee
  16. ground — a position
  17. spring — the season
  18. swing — music
  19. ground — the earth
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. spring — a coil
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a hole

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