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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: stick · coach · suit · bulb · club · cold · bank · field

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — to fit
  5. field — farmland
  6. club — for golf
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. suit — in cards
  10. field — for sport
  11. cold — not warm
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — a group
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. suit — clothes
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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