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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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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: mate · chip · stick · bear · root · content · court · bank

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mate — a partner
  4. court — for sport
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — to eat
  9. content — happy
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chip — for betting
  12. court — of a king
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. root — of a word
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. root — the cause
  18. bank — for money
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bank — for money
  22. content — the amount
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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