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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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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 · kick · arm · racket · bank · pit · deal · last

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. court — for sport
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. last — to go on
  12. kick — in football
  13. bank — of a river
  14. court — of law
  15. pit — in a race
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. last — finally
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of a king
  24. last — final

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