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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. stand — to bear
  2. bank — for money
  3. content — happy
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. content — the amount
  23. date — on the calendar
  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