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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. court — of a king
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. season — of the year
  5. wake — a trail
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bank — for money
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. season — in sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. coach — pulled by horses

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