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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · net · suit · bank · mine · arm · rock · temple

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mine — for digging
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. court — of law
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — for sport
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. net — after costs
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. court — of a king
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. net — in sport
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — of a river
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — to move gently

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