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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 120 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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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 · wound · nail · current · track · foot · deal · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. current — electric
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. track — a path
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wound — an injury
  7. track — a song
  8. present — the time now
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — a measure
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. current — of water
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — happening now
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. present — a gift
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. foot — part of the body

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