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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: dip · bank · court · rest · jam · land · wound · perch

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — a break
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. court — for sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bank — for money
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wound — an injury
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. court — of law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. land — a country
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. land — to come down
  24. court — of a king

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