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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
468
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: hand · coach · bulb · fork · charge · mug · bass · bank

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — a face
  4. bank — of a river
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. hand — help
  7. bank — for money
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mug — a cup
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bass — low music
  15. charge — in control
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the instrument

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