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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 120 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: coach · bank · cold · mark · press · vault · charge · court

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. court — of law
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bank — for money
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bank — of a river
  7. court — for sport
  8. charge — in control
  9. press — to push
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — not warm
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. court — of a king
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. charge — a price
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mark — a grade
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. charge — electricity
  24. cold — an illness

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