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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: track · pop · nail · patient · tube · kick · coach · court

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pop — music
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. kick — in football
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. court — for sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — of a king
  13. tube — a container
  14. track — a song
  15. pop — to visit
  16. tube — the underground
  17. court — of law
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — soda

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