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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · bank · bear · chest · charge · rule

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. charge — a price
  3. court — of a king
  4. rule — a law
  5. chest — of your body
  6. court — of law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. bank — for money
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bank — for money
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. chest — a box
  13. charge — electricity
  14. court — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. charge — in control
  17. bank — of a river
  18. rule — government

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