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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: land · chest · racket · mate · bank · coach · key · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. chest — of your body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. land — ground
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chest — a box
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. key — in music
  15. club — for golf
  16. chest — of your body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. mate — a friend
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. land — a country
  23. club — a group
  24. land — to come down

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