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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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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: deal · race · band · coach · firm · pound

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. firm — steady
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. race — humankind
  5. firm — decided
  6. race — the arms race
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. deal — to handle
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pound — a weight
  11. race — a contest
  12. firm — a company
  13. band — a music group
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. band — a ring

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