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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: season · straw · bank · coach · wound · club · ball · sharp

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. bank — for money
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. sharp — clever
  9. season — of the year
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ball — a dance
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bank — of a river
  19. season — in sport
  20. club — a group
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — exactly
  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