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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: court · toast · track · bank · arm · craft · cell · mug

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. track — a path
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — bread
  5. court — of a king
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bank — for money
  8. court — for sport
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. mug — a face
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. craft — boats
  13. cell — in biology
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. track — a song
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bank — for money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. cell — a phone
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. court — of law
  24. arm — part of the body

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