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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: nail · bulb · degree · toast · coach · pop · net · pound

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. net — after costs
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. net — in sport
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pop — music
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pop — to visit
  16. degree — an amount
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — for catching
  20. pop — soda
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. toast — 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