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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: game · coach · bass · pitcher · rush · bank · bear · march

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. march — the month
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. game — a match
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bank — of a river
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. bass — low music
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. coach — pulled by horses

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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