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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: tube · foot · hand · suit · deal · coach · racket · rush

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. hand — in cards
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. hand — help
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — the underground
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tube — a container
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. deal — to handle
  24. tube — in a tire

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