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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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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. court — of a king
  3. bank — for money
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. court — of law
  6. bore — to tire
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. court — for sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. shower — rain
  14. bass — low music
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bore — to drill
  18. shower — to wash

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