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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 116 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. charge — a price
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. march — the month
  8. bank — for money
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bank — of a river
  11. court — of a king
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ground — crushed
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. dip — to sink
  17. ground — a position
  18. court — for sport
  19. charge — in control
  20. march — the month
  21. snap — to click
  22. charge — electricity
  23. plane — a tool
  24. march — 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