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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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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 · last · court · safe · rock · rush · board · coach

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. board — a committee
  3. last — final
  4. last — to go on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — to get on
  8. court — for sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. rock — music
  15. bank — of a river
  16. rock — a stone
  17. last — finally
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. court — of a king
  24. rock — to move gently

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