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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: key · can · nail · straw · prune · net · coach · sharp

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — to be able to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. net — in sport
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. key — the most important part
  10. sharp — clever
  11. can — a tin
  12. prune — to trim
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. net — for catching
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. net — after costs
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. prune — to trim
  24. sharp — exactly

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