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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: swing · nail · pound · leaves · mark · land · deal · stem

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mark — a grade
  6. swing — music
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stem — to come from
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pound — a weight
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. land — ground
  24. mark — a trace

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