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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · saw · squash · kick · deal · fine · file · coach

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. field — a subject
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. field — farmland
  5. saw — the tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. field — for sport
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fine — high quality
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. file — a tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — all right
  23. saw — the tool
  24. squash — the sport

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