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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: season · drill · net · coach · nail · pop · roll · deal

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. drill — a practice
  4. deal — to handle
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. season — of the year
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — to visit
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. net — for catching
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — after costs
  14. drill — army training
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. season — in sport
  19. pop — music
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. net — in sport
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pop — soda

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