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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: rule · bank · court · key · jam · track · hand · coach

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. bank — for money
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. track — to keep track
  7. court — of law
  8. track — a path
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. hand — in cards
  11. key — the most important part
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — a song
  15. rule — government
  16. court — of a king
  17. key — for a lock
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. hand — help
  20. key — in music
  21. bank — for money
  22. court — for sport
  23. bank — of a river
  24. rule — a law

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