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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 116 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: nail · present · can · press · coach · court · ground · wound

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. can — a tin
  3. press — newspapers
  4. can — to be able to
  5. court — for sport
  6. ground — crushed
  7. can — a tin
  8. wound — an injury
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — of law
  11. ground — the earth
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ground — a position
  15. present — there
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. present — the time now
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — a gift
  21. wound — an injury
  22. press — to push
  23. court — of a king
  24. press — a publisher

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