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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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468
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: bank · craft · root · racket · mug · shower · band · court

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. root — the cause
  3. band — a ring
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. court — for sport
  6. mug — a face
  7. shower — rain
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bank — of a river
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mug — a cup
  18. root — of a plant
  19. band — a music group
  20. bank — for money
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. root — of a word
  23. court — of law
  24. court — of a king

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