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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: season · racket · bank · coach · board · fall

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bank — of a river
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. bank — for money
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fall — to drop
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — of the year
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fall — the season
  18. season — in sport

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