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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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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. land — a country
  7. net — for catching
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — size or range
  11. court — of law
  12. stand — to bear
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. court — of a king
  19. land — ground
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. land — to come down
  23. scale — in music
  24. court — for sport

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