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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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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: hand · season · coach · firm · safe · drill · deal · racket

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hand — in cards
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. season — of the year
  6. drill — a practice
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. season — in sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. firm — a company
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. drill — the tool
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. deal — to handle
  24. drill — army training

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