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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: band · deal · pitch · coach · squash · swing · hand · bulb

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. swing — to play on
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitch — completely
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bulb — for light
  11. band — a ring
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hand — help
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. band — a music group
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. squash — to crush
  22. deal — to handle
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. swing — music

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