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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 · game · can · land · coach · pit · swing · vault

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. can — to be able to
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pit — in a race
  9. land — to come down
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — a match
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pit — a hole
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. vault — a safe
  20. land — a country
  21. swing — music
  22. land — ground
  23. swing — in golf
  24. can — a tin

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