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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: jam · race · leaves · land · bank · perch · club · coach

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. race — a contest
  3. club — for golf
  4. bank — for money
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bank — for money
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — humankind
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. club — for dancing
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. land — to come down
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bank — of a river
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. club — a group
  24. jam — a tight spot

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