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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: kid · roll · band · spring · foot · bank · bear · court

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. court — of law
  7. spring — the season
  8. bank — for money
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bank — for money
  11. band — a music group
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. bear — the animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a ring
  18. court — for sport
  19. roll — a cake
  20. kid — child
  21. court — of a king
  22. kid — to tease
  23. roll — a list
  24. band — a rubber band

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