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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · bank · mine · mate · roll · court · content · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. content — the amount
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. content — happy
  9. mate — a friend
  10. court — of a king
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. roll — a list
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a grade
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. bank — for money
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. roll — a cake

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