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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: fine · coach · deal · squash · bass · pitch · roll · dip

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. squash — the sport
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fine — all right
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bass — low music
  12. squash — to crush
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a list
  15. deal — to handle
  16. fine — high quality
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pitch — completely

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