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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: ground · fine · coach · can · row · lean · net · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. net — in sport
  7. row — to paddle
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. ground — crushed
  11. can — a tin
  12. net — after costs
  13. race — the arms race
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. row — a line
  16. race — a contest
  17. ground — the earth
  18. net — for catching
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. ground — a position
  21. can — to be able to
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to bend

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