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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 · pass · hand · saw · bowl · staff · rush · pitcher

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. staff — a stick
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. rush — hurry
  7. staff — employees
  8. hand — help
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. staff — employees
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. hand — part of the body

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