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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 · bat · bear · temple · file · row · club · coach

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. club — a group
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. file — a tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. deal — to handle
  24. temple — side of the head

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