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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: wake · roll · calf · mouse · court · ground · bank · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. roll — a list
  3. ground — the earth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bank — for money
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. ground — a position
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. court — of a king
  17. ground — crushed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wake — a trail
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. court — for sport
  24. roll — a cake

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