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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 120 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: band · racket · hand · coach · current · dip · mate · nail

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. mate — a friend
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. band — a ring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. current — electric
  15. mate — a partner
  16. band — a music group
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mate — to breed
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. band — a rubber band

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