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

Word bank: club · bowl · bank · racket · chest · mark · court · wave

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mark — a trace
  7. court — of law
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. club — for golf
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chest — a box
  19. club — a group
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. court — of a king
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wave — with your hand

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