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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · swing · pitcher · chest · branch · pit · spring · nail

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. branch — a division
  8. chest — a box
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spring — the season
  17. swing — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. pit — a hole
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. swing — in golf

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