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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · bank · roll · march · patient · foot · face · wake

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. roll — a list
  3. face — to confront
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. march — music
  11. court — of law
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — a cake
  15. court — for sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. face — to point toward
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. march — the month
  22. bank — of a river
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. face — part of the head

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