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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: coach · court · kick · bear · lean · racket · bank · staff

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bank — for money
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — in football
  9. court — of law
  10. bear — the animal
  11. court — of a king
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bear — the animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. staff — a stick
  19. court — for sport
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. lean — thin
  22. bank — for money
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bank — of a river

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