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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: bank · present · row · mine · coach · bowl · rash · kid

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — the time now
  5. row — to paddle
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. rash — hasty
  8. present — a gift
  9. rash — a series
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bank — for money
  13. kid — child
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. kid — to tease
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mine — for digging
  21. present — there
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. row — a line
  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