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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: lash · court · season · arm · bank · sharp · roll · scale

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. scale — size or range
  5. court — of law
  6. season — of the year
  7. scale — in music
  8. court — for sport
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. court — of a king
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. roll — a list
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bank — for money
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. roll — a cake
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. season — in sport
  24. lash — to lash out

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