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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: land · nail · foot · coach · suit · firm · fork · press

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. foot — a measure
  3. firm — a company
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. press — a publisher
  9. land — ground
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. press — newspapers
  14. suit — to fit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. firm — decided
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. firm — steady
  24. fork — a garden tool

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