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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 116 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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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: club · wind · prune · nail · stick · swing · key · pitcher

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. key — in music
  8. prune — to trim
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. key — for a lock
  11. swing — in golf
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. key — the most important part
  17. swing — music
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wind — moving air
  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