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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · pitch · bank · ground · file · bulb · bark · coach

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ground — the earth
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bark — to shout
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. bank — for money
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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