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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: kick · ball · bank · drill · deal · wave · court · tube

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. kick — in football
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ball — a dance
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. court — of law
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bank — for money
  11. court — for sport
  12. drill — army training
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. court — of a king
  16. tube — the underground
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bank — of a river
  19. drill — the tool
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. drill — a practice
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bank — for money

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