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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: ruler · coach · arm · nail · ball · staff · net · ground

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. net — after costs
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. ground — a position
  11. ball — a dance
  12. net — for catching
  13. staff — employees
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ground — crushed
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. ball — a great time
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. ground — the earth
  23. net — in sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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