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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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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 · fall · bear · coach · pitch · ruler

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fall — the season
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. deal — to handle
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fall — to drop
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal

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