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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 · rush · bore · season · mug · bank · suit · bass

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bass — low music
  4. bank — for money
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bank — for money
  8. mug — to rob
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — to fit
  11. court — for sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bore — to tire
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. court — of law
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bore — to drill
  19. suit — clothes
  20. court — of a king
  21. season — in sport
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. season — of the year
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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