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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 120 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: net · ground · cabinet · snap · sharp · ruler · coach · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. net — in sport
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ground — crushed
  10. net — after costs
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. rock — a stone
  13. snap — to click
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. ground — a position
  20. sharp — clever
  21. net — for catching
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — the earth

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