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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 120 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bank — for money
  5. bore — to tire
  6. kick — in football
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. key — the most important part
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. key — for a lock
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bank — of a river
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. dip — to sink
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. band — a music group
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bank — for money
  23. bore — to drill
  24. key — in music

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