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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: firm · drill · fine · nail · stock · bay · coach · mine

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. firm — decided
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. firm — steady
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fine — high quality
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fine — all right
  24. firm — a company

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