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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 116 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: mate · cap · bank · net · mine · squash · spring · coach

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — of ice
  9. net — in sport
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. spring — a coil
  12. cap — a lid
  13. squash — to crush
  14. cap — a hat
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. net — for catching
  17. bank — of a river
  18. net — after costs
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. spring — of water
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. squash — the sport
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. spring — the season

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