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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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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: nail · spring · pitcher · net · capital · safe · staff · bear

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. capital — a city
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. net — after costs
  12. staff — employees
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. net — in sport
  16. staff — a stick
  17. capital — money
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. net — for catching
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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