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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: can · field · nail · fall · coach · ruler · pop · firm

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. can — a tin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — for sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. field — farmland
  9. fall — the season
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — steady
  13. field — a subject
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — to visit
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pop — music
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. firm — a company
  22. can — a tin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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