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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 120 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: game · cue · court · firm · band · foot · rule · bank

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. court — of a king
  3. game — a match
  4. court — of law
  5. bank — of a river
  6. band — a music group
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. game — wild animals
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. firm — a company
  12. rule — government
  13. court — for sport
  14. firm — decided
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. cue — for pool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rule — a law
  20. bank — for money
  21. firm — steady
  22. bank — for money
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cue — a hint

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