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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: bay · march · net · dip · nail · spring · cabinet · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — after costs
  5. march — music
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. spring — the season
  12. march — the month
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — in sport
  18. march — the month
  19. spring — of water
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. net — for catching
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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