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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: leaves · coach · ground · content · deal · nail · can · pitch

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ground — a position
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. deal — to handle
  10. can — to be able to
  11. content — happy
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ground — crushed
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. can — a tin
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. content — the amount
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ground — the earth

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