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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: bowl · tube · rash · bank · court · squash · rock · jam

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. bank — for money
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. court — of a king
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. rash — hasty
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bank — of a river
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bank — for money
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. rash — a series
  20. rock — music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. squash — the vegetable

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