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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: court · chair · fan · pound · ball · bank · bowl · hide

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. ball — a great time
  5. court — of law
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. court — for sport
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pound — a weight
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. court — of a king
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bowl — a dish
  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