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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 116 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 · bark · can · bank · charge · wind · degree · race

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. charge — in control
  3. court — for sport
  4. bark — to shout
  5. charge — a price
  6. bank — of a river
  7. can — a tin
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. can — a tin
  12. race — a contest
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bank — for money
  15. charge — electricity
  16. degree — from a university
  17. race — the arms race
  18. court — of law
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bank — for money
  22. degree — temperature
  23. race — humankind
  24. degree — an amount

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