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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: deal · rash · game · coach · sharp · fan · bowl · swing

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — hasty
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. swing — in golf
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. game — a match
  24. sharp — clever

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