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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: bank · march · ground · toast · fan · coach · swing · bass

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bank — for money
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — music
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bass — low music
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ground — crushed
  14. march — music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. toast — bread
  17. bank — of a river
  18. swing — in golf
  19. march — the month
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ground — the earth
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ground — a position
  24. fan — a supporter

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