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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: deal · coach · field · band · dip · safe · sharp · spell

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. sharp — exactly
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. field — for sport
  6. spell — a short time
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — clever
  11. band — a music group
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. dip — to sink
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. field — farmland
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. field — a subject
  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