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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: race · coach · staff · bowl · bank · clip

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. staff — employees
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — humankind
  6. bank — of a river
  7. race — the arms race
  8. clip — to cut
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — for money
  12. clip — a video
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bowl — a dish

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