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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: coach · bear · sharp · rule · game · nail · can · foot

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. foot — a measure
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. game — a match
  5. can — a tin
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. sharp — clever
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. can — a tin
  16. rule — a law
  17. game — wild animals
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — government
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bear — the animal
  23. can — to be able to
  24. coach — a trainer

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