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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 116 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: pop · hand · scale · bank · firm · can · racket · coach

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pop — to visit
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. firm — a company
  7. bank — for money
  8. scale — in music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pop — soda
  12. hand — help
  13. bank — for money
  14. can — a tin
  15. scale — size or range
  16. pop — music
  17. can — to be able to
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. can — a tin
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. firm — decided

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