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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rule · mouse · court · rush · arm · degree · bank · bulb

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. rule — a law
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. court — of law
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — for sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rush — hurry
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — of a king
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. degree — temperature
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. degree — an amount

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