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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: nail · pit · net · can · bear · spring · press · swing

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  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. can — a tin
  2. net — in sport
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. press — newspapers
  5. swing — to play on
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spring — the season
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. swing — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. press — to push
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — to be able to
  17. net — after costs
  18. pit — in a race
  19. can — a tin
  20. spring — of water
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. spring — a coil
  23. press — a publisher
  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