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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: wound · ball · last · coach · bank · key · bark · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — in music
  5. last — final
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bark — to shout
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bank — for money
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ball — a dance
  16. last — to go on
  17. ball — a great time
  18. last — finally
  19. bank — for money
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rule — government

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