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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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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: bore · court · face · bass · pitcher · rash · saw · bank

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. court — for sport
  3. face — to confront
  4. bank — of a river
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bore — to tire
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. face — part of the head
  17. court — of a king
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rash — a series
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bass — low music
  24. court — of law

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