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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. key — the most important part
  17. court — of a king
  18. date — the fruit
  19. key — in music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mine — for digging
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mine — belonging to me

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