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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.

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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: cold · coach · pit · firm · wave · bank · field · scale

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cold — not warm
  3. pit — in a race
  4. firm — steady
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. firm — decided
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — size or range
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. scale — in music
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. field — for sport
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. field — farmland
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bank — of a river
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. firm — a company
  24. field — a subject

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