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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: coach · straw · squash · track · pass · pop · nail · can

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pop — soda
  11. squash — to crush
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. can — a tin
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pop — to visit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — to keep track
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. can — a tin
  21. squash — the sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pass — to spend time

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