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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: stand · sharp · cap · fan · coach · bank · roll · ground

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ground — a position
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cap — a hat
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bank — for money
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bank — for money
  19. cap — a lid
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — crushed
  22. roll — a list
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stand — to bear

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