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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: stem · court · roll · ruler · hand · chest · bank · coach

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chest — of your body
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chest — of your body
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bank — of a river
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chest — a box
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. court — of a king
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — of law
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. roll — a list
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. court — for 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