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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: coach · march · chest · pound · rash · racket · tube · bank

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — the underground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — the month
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. march — music
  10. chest — of your body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. chest — a box
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. chest — of your body
  17. march — the month
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pound — a weight
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rash — hasty
  24. racket — a loud noise

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