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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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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: present · bank · court · wake · fan · squash · coach · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. court — of law
  3. squash — the sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — the time now
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. firm — a company
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. present — there
  19. wake — a trail
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. firm — decided
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bank — of a river
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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