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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: field · nail · coach · mark · net · object · staff · wave

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — farmland
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. staff — a stick
  11. field — for sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. field — a subject
  16. mark — a trace
  17. object — to protest
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. object — an aim
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. net — in sport
  23. object — a thing
  24. nail — for a hammer

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