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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bank — for money
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. court — of law
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rest — a break
  12. ball — a great time
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitch — completely
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — for sport

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