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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. track — a path
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mate — to breed
  9. track — a song
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — for money
  15. court — of law
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fine — all right
  20. court — for sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fine — high quality
  24. drill — army training

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