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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. band — a ring
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cue — a hint
  5. court — of law
  6. cue — for pool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. court — for sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — to fit
  14. band — a music group
  15. track — a song
  16. suit — in cards
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a path
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. court — of a king
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — of a river

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