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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 116 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: mark · chip · nail · fan · ground · last · coach · racket

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — a position
  5. last — finally
  6. mark — a grade
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. last — final
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. last — to go on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chip — to eat
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. nail — on a finger

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