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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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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: mark · spring · bank · club · rule · court · lean · wound

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. club — for golf
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spring — the season
  5. club — for dancing
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lean — to bend
  8. rule — government
  9. club — a group
  10. bank — for money
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rule — a law
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. court — for sport
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bank — for money
  20. court — of a king
  21. spring — of water
  22. bank — of a river
  23. lean — thin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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