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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: coach · bank · land · present · chair · foot · pitch · mouse

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bank — for money
  3. chair — a leader
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. bank — of a river
  21. present — a gift
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. present — there

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