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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 · drill · snap · coach · deal · key · present · date

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. drill — the tool
  5. present — the time now
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. date — the fruit
  10. snap — to click
  11. drill — army training
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. key — for a lock
  16. deal — to handle
  17. present — a gift
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. present — there
  21. key — in music
  22. key — the most important part
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. date — on the calendar

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