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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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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 · band · bear · foot · coach · racket · pit · file

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — a hole
  4. file — a tool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. file — a document
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pit — in a race
  12. deal — to handle
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bear — the animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. file — a line of people
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. band — a rubber band

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