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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: season · key · chest · coach · saw · file · pitcher · bank

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. file — a line of people
  4. bank — of a river
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. key — in music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bank — for money
  13. chest — of your body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. key — the most important part
  17. file — a tool
  18. chest — a box
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. file — a document
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — in sport
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bank — for money

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