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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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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: net · bulb · pound · coach · stand · bank · fork · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kid — child
  6. bank — for money
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pound — a weight
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — for catching
  23. stand — to bear
  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