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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: kick · court · root · bank · net · object · pop · dip

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — for money
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. net — for catching
  8. bank — of a river
  9. dip — to sink
  10. court — for sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bank — for money
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. pop — to visit
  22. net — in sport
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

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