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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 116 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 · nail · land · object · file · mine · court · pit

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. file — a tool
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. court — of law
  5. pit — a hole
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. land — ground
  8. object — an aim
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. file — a document
  12. object — to protest
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pit — in a race
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. file — a line of people
  17. land — to come down
  18. object — a thing
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mine — for digging
  21. land — a country
  22. court — of a king
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. court — for sport

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