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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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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: ruler · nail · ground · track · kid · game · coach · net

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — wild animals
  9. ground — a position
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kid — to tease
  12. track — a song
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — a path
  15. kid — child
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. net — in sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ground — crushed
  23. game — a match
  24. nail — for a hammer

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