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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. scale — size or range
  5. land — a country
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. scale — in music
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. land — to come down
  10. bear — the animal
  11. land — ground
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. fine — all right
  15. bear — the animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kick — in football

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