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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 120 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: ball · deal · tube · land · dip · present · coach · saw

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. land — ground
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. dip — to sink
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. ball — a dance
  10. present — the time now
  11. land — a country
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. land — to come down
  24. dip — to dunk

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