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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 116 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 · bank · wake · fine · mark · game · ruler · season

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fine — all right
  14. bank — of a river
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. game — a match
  24. season — in sport

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