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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: pitch · deal · spring · saw · bank · object · wave · hand

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. object — a thing
  3. saw — the tool
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bank — for money
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spring — the season
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bank — of a river
  16. object — to protest
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — a coil
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. hand — help
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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