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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: land · pit · ground · swing · coach · rest · can · nail

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — in a race
  4. swing — to play on
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. can — a tin
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — a country
  17. rest — a break
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — a hole
  21. swing — music
  22. ground — the earth
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. can — a tin

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