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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: last · coach · court · leaves · perch · bass · key · bank

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. court — for sport
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. key — the most important part
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. key — for a lock
  11. last — to go on
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — the fish
  18. key — in music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. last — finally
  21. bass — low music
  22. bank — of a river
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. last — final

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