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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spell — a short time
  3. board — to get on
  4. land — a country
  5. mark — a trace
  6. court — of law
  7. spell — letters
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. land — to come down
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. land — ground
  13. bank — of a river
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bank — for money
  16. drill — the tool
  17. court — for sport
  18. drill — army training
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. drill — a practice
  21. spell — magic
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. board — a committee
  24. court — of a king

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