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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: bank · bat · mate · court · board · kick · bore · mark

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. mate — a partner
  9. court — of law
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. kick — in football
  14. mate — a friend
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. board — to get on
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bore — to tire
  22. board — a committee
  23. mark — a trace
  24. court — of a king

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