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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: deal · bass · drill · rush · ball · coach · present · arm

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. present — the time now
  5. ball — a dance
  6. deal — to handle
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. present — a gift
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — hurry
  17. drill — army training
  18. present — there
  19. bass — low music
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. arm — 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