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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: nail · net · coach · straw · bulb · pop · mark · bound

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. pop — to visit
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mark — a trace
  9. net — for catching
  10. bound — obliged
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bound — certain
  15. net — in sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — to pay attention

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