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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 116 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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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 · wind · bank · charge · object · mate · ruler · file

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. object — to protest
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mate — a partner
  5. court — for sport
  6. mate — a friend
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. file — a document
  9. wind — moving air
  10. court — of law
  11. file — a tool
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bank — for money
  14. court — of a king
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mate — to breed
  18. object — an aim
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. object — a thing
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. wind — moving air

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