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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: safe · content · bowl · row · mate · pound · bank · court

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. row — to paddle
  6. court — of law
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mate — to breed
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — of a king
  13. mate — a friend
  14. court — for sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. content — happy
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. row — a line
  22. bank — of a river
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bowl — a football 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