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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 120 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: stand · game · chip · bank · coach · kid · race · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chip — to eat
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bank — for money
  8. season — of the year
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stand — to bear
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. race — humankind
  14. chip — for betting
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. game — a match
  20. race — a contest
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. stand — on your feet
  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