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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. board — to get on
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bank — for money
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. court — of law
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. board — a committee
  16. capital — money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. capital — a city
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. band — a rubber band

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