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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: foot · cue · bank · fall · bear · suit · court · land

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. land — to come down
  3. court — for sport
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — a country
  10. foot — a measure
  11. land — ground
  12. cue — for pool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. cue — a signal
  21. fall — the season
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bear — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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