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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: game · bank · pass · march · coach · mate · court · stick

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — of law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — a partner
  7. march — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mate — a friend
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. court — of a king
  23. mate — to breed
  24. coach — a trainer

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