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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. court — of a king
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bank — of a river
  6. last — to go on
  7. mine — for digging
  8. band — a music group
  9. bank — for money
  10. court — of law
  11. net — after costs
  12. court — for sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. net — in sport
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. band — a ring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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