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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. suit — clothes
  3. drill — army training
  4. bank — for money
  5. suit — to fit
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fork — in a road
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bank — for money
  12. suit — in cards
  13. drill — the tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. court — of law
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. drill — a practice
  20. game — a match
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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