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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · hide · current · court · date · coach · board · net

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. board — a committee
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. board — to get on
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. date — the fruit
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. current — happening now

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