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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: straw · bank · pound · can · suit · tube · march · coach

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. suit — in cards
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. march — the month
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bank — of a river
  8. march — the month
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. suit — to fit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. march — music
  15. bank — for money
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. suit — clothes
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. tube — a container
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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