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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: stand · bank · fine · wind · track · roll · rest · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. track — a song
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. rest — what's left
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wind — moving air
  8. court — of a king
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bank — of a river
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stand — to bear
  13. track — a path
  14. roll — a list
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bank — for money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rest — a break
  20. fine — all right
  21. bank — for money
  22. fine — high quality
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. stand — for spectators

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