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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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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: saw · rock · toast · present · pitch · game · dip · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. saw — the tool
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. present — there
  6. toast — bread
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. rock — music
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. dip — to sink
  15. present — the time now
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. deal — to handle
  18. saw — the tool
  19. game — wild animals
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rock — a stone
  22. pitch — completely
  23. present — a gift
  24. toast — the most admired

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