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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: can · degree · kid · key · nail · rock · coach · straw

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. rock — a stone
  3. kid — child
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — to be able to
  10. key — for a lock
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. degree — temperature
  14. key — in music
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. key — the most important part
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rock — music

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