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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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468
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: bank · rash · rush · court · pitch · cabinet · coach · spell

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — of law
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. spell — magic
  11. court — of a king
  12. bank — for money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. court — for sport
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pitch — completely

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