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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: toast · wound · jam · coach · sharp · fine · ground · bank

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. wound — an injury
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bank — for money
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. toast — bread
  12. ground — crushed
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. fine — all right
  17. ground — a position
  18. sharp — clever
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fine — high quality
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. ground — the earth

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