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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: coach · band · hide · deal · pound · sharp · squash · chair

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. 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 — to handle
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. squash — to crush
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. sharp — clever
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pound — a weight
  16. squash — the sport
  17. chair — a leader
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. band — a music group
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. 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