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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: sharp · snap · jam · ground · degree · racket · nail · coach

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. degree — from a university
  3. ground — crushed
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. degree — an amount
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. degree — temperature
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ground — a position
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. ground — the earth
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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