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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: rush · fan · jam · cue · staff · bank · court · coach

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. staff — employees
  3. bank — for money
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bank — of a river
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. court — of law
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. court — for sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cue — a signal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — of a king
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. staff — employees

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