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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: tube · nail · deal · file · field · pop · ball · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. tube — the underground
  6. deal — to handle
  7. ball — a great time
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. file — a line of people
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pop — music
  12. tube — a container
  13. file — a tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. file — a document
  20. pop — to visit
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. pop — soda
  24. field — a subject

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