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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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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: coach · game · rush · can · net · bank · stand · straw

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. can — a tin
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. game — a match
  11. bank — for money
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. net — in sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. net — after costs

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