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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: chest · bowl · bank · court · spell · date · ball · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. chest — a box
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bank — for money
  6. date — the fruit
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — a short time
  12. court — for sport
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. spell — letters
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. court — of law
  20. bass — low music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. spell — magic
  23. court — of a king
  24. chest — of your body

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