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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.

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: ground · swing · foot · stick · band · fan · coach · bank

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — in golf
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. ground — crushed
  7. band — a ring
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. swing — to play on
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. foot — a measure
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bank — of a river
  18. ground — a position
  19. swing — music
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a music group
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — part of the body

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