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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pit · chair · bank · prune · rush · rule · net

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bank — of a river
  3. net — for catching
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. net — after costs
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. prune — to trim
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pit — a hole
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. prune — to trim
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bank — for money
  18. rule — government
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rule — a law
  24. bank — for money

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