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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: coach · bank · season · mug · sharp · race · pitcher · mouse

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. race — humankind
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — a face
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. season — of the year
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bank — for money
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bank — of a river
  24. pitcher — a jug

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