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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: rash · hand · track · ground · bass · saw · deal · rush

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. track — a path
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ground — a position
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rash — hasty
  7. track — a song
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rush — hurry
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. hand — help
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — low music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. track — to keep track
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rash — a series
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rash — on the skin

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