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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: pop · file · bank · bowl · board · stick · hide · coach

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bank — for money
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pop — soda
  7. file — a tool
  8. file — a line of people
  9. board — a committee
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pop — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pop — to visit
  17. file — a document
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. board — to get on
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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