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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: key · shower · ball · track · stick · clip · court · bank

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. track — a song
  4. court — for sport
  5. track — to keep track
  6. key — in music
  7. clip — to cut
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — a path
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — of a river
  17. key — the most important part
  18. court — of law
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — for a lock
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. clip — for paper
  24. shower — rain

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