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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. court — of a king
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bank — of a river
  7. court — of law
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. squash — to crush
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. squash — the sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bank — for money
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. court — for sport
  22. capital — money
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bowl — a dish

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