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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: saw · fan · court · bank · rule · present · deal · racket

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. present — a gift
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bank — for money
  7. present — there
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. court — of law
  12. saw — the tool
  13. present — the time now
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rule — a law
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rule — government
  22. court — of a king
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fan — a supporter

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