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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: ruler · court · current · stem · wound · bank · coach · rash

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. court — for sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rash — hasty
  5. current — electric
  6. court — of a king
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. wound — an injury
  11. court — of law
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rash — a series
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stem — to come from
  21. current — of water
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. current — happening now
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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