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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: mine · bank · board · cabinet · coach · chair · prune · race

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. board — to get on
  4. mine — for digging
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bank — for money
  10. race — humankind
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bank — of a river
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. race — the arms race
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. race — a contest
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — a trainer

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