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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. field — a subject
  5. bank — for money
  6. field — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — farmland
  11. court — for sport
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. court — of a king
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. court — of law
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wake — a trail
  24. kick — a thrill

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