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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: coach · nail · firm · mine · drill · sharp · pop · court

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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. sharp — with an edge
  4. court — of law
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — clever
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — a company
  9. drill — army training
  10. court — for sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pop — to visit
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. court — of a king
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. mine — for digging
  20. drill — the tool
  21. firm — steady
  22. pop — music
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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