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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: degree · court · wave · content · coach · bulb · bank · squash

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. content — happy
  3. bank — for money
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. court — of law
  7. bank — for money
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. degree — an amount
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. court — of a king
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. squash — the sport
  17. content — the amount
  18. court — for sport
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — temperature
  24. bank — of a river

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