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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: fork · nail · row · fine · cap · stick · coach · object

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fine — all right
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. object — a thing
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a lid
  7. row — a line
  8. fine — high quality
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. object — to protest
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fork — in a road
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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