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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: bank · mouse · bound · ground · court · snap · wound · fine

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of a king
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fine — all right
  6. bound — certain
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bank — of a river
  11. court — of law
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — a position
  17. court — for sport
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fine — high quality
  21. snap — to click
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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