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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 120 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: bank · mark · court · game · rule · spell · object · bat

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bank — of a river
  4. court — of a king
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. rule — a law
  8. bank — for money
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — a grade
  12. object — to protest
  13. spell — letters
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rule — government
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. spell — magic
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — an aim

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