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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: pound · sharp · dip · racket · coach · game · plane · nail

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — wild animals
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. sharp — clever
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — a match
  22. plane — a tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pound — a weight

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