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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.

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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — for sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. charge — a price
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wind — moving air
  9. can — a tin
  10. charge — in control
  11. bark — to shout
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. can — a tin
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. charge — electricity

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