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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 · foot · ball · hand · nail · bear · cap · row

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. hand — in cards
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cap — a hat
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. foot — a measure
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bear — the animal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cap — a lid
  16. row — a line
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cap — of ice
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bear — the animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. hand — help
  24. coach — a trainer

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