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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: mine · nail · kick · pop · cap · staff · coach · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cap — a lid
  7. ball — a dance
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cap — of ice
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kick — in football
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pop — soda
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. pop — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pop — to visit

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