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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · content · ball · hand · deal · straw · date · bowl

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. deal — to handle
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. content — the amount
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. date — the fruit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — help
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. hand — in cards
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. date — on the calendar

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