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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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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: net · nail · pitcher · kick · wake · club · coach · pop

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. club — for golf
  16. net — after costs
  17. pop — soda
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pop — music
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wake — a trail

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