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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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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: staff · tube · board · bank · hand · roll · pitch · deal

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. roll — a cake
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. board — a committee
  9. deal — to handle
  10. hand — help
  11. pitch — completely
  12. staff — a stick
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bank — of a river
  15. board — to get on
  16. staff — employees
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. roll — a list
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hand — in cards
  24. tube — a container

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