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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · squash · deal · hand · mate · jam · board · cold

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cold — an illness
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hand — help
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. mate — a partner
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — a committee
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. board — to get on
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — to breed
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. squash — the sport

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