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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 120 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: bank · rock · plane · racket · march · row · firm · court

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. bank — of a river
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. march — the month
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bank — for money
  7. march — music
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. row — a line
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bank — for money
  13. rock — a stone
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — music
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. firm — steady
  22. march — the month
  23. plane — a tool
  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