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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: bank · coach · chair · bark · calf · staff · bay · march

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — the month
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — the month
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bark — to shout
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. staff — employees
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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