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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 · land · wind · bank · board · jam · deal · ball

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bank — of a river
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wind — moving air
  7. deal — to handle
  8. board — a committee
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. land — to come down
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. land — a country
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bank — for money
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. ball — a great time
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. land — ground

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