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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: content · rule · bank · coach · racket · march

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bank — for money
  5. march — the month
  6. content — the amount
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — the month
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rule — a law
  12. bank — of a river
  13. march — music
  14. content — happy
  15. rule — government
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. rule — to rule out

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