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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
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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: mine · swing · content · suit · court · hide · bank · roll

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. court — of law
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bank — for money
  6. swing — in golf
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bank — for money
  12. mine — for digging
  13. court — for sport
  14. roll — a cake
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. swing — music
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bank — of a river
  19. content — happy
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. suit — clothes
  22. roll — a list
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. content — the 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