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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: present · clip · coach · spell · pitcher · jam · bank · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. clip — for paper
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. spell — a short time
  7. present — there
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — letters
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. present — the time now
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. roll — a cake
  19. present — a gift
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bank — for money
  22. clip — a video
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. clip — to cut

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