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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 116 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: deal · pitcher · pit · coach · net · game · saw · mate

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — after costs
  7. pit — in a race
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. net — in sport
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. net — for catching
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. game — a match
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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