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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kid · coach · nail · net · bark · fan · pitch · mate

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pitch — completely
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. net — in sport
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. kid — to tease
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. kid — child
  19. net — for catching
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. fan — a supporter

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