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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 124 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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. ball — a dance
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. plane — a tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rash — a series
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — a measure
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. capital — a city
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pitch — completely
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rash — hasty

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