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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · stick · wound · bank · coach · present · bat · spell

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bank — for money
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. court — of law
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — the time now
  15. spell — letters
  16. bank — for money
  17. court — for sport
  18. spell — magic
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bat — the animal
  24. court — of a king

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