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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. 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. coach — a trainer
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rock — music
  6. board — to get on
  7. chip — for betting
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. rash — a series
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chip — to eat
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. board — a committee
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. squash — to crush
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. 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