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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: bowl · face · court · object · date · net · staff · bank

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. object — an aim
  3. net — after costs
  4. staff — employees
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of law
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. court — of a king
  9. net — for catching
  10. bank — of a river
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. object — a thing
  16. face — to confront
  17. object — to protest
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. face — to point toward
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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