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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: bore · foot · game · nail · coach · present · rash · can

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bore — to drill
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. can — a tin
  10. present — there
  11. bore — to tire
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rash — a series
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. can — a tin
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. present — a gift
  21. rash — hasty
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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