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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 120 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: squash · nail · snap · track · ground · bulb · prune · swing

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — music
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. swing — in golf
  10. ground — crushed
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. snap — to click
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. swing — to play on
  17. prune — to trim
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bulb — for light
  20. squash — to crush
  21. track — a song
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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