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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 · row · shower · key · bank · suit · game · fan

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. suit — in cards
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bank — for money
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. key — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. row — to paddle
  13. key — for a lock
  14. game — wild animals
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. key — the most important part
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. game — a match
  20. row — a line
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. suit — to fit

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