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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.

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: swing · spell · bank · stand · court · date · mine · vault

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bank — for money
  4. swing — music
  5. court — of a king
  6. spell — letters
  7. date — the fruit
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. swing — in golf
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. spell — magic
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. court — for sport
  15. stand — to bear
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spell — a short time
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of law
  24. mine — for digging

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