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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · bank · stand · march · leaves · court · arm · deal

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bass — the fish
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bank — of a river
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — to bear
  14. court — of law
  15. bass — low music
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. deal — to handle
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bank — for money
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. march — the month

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