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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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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 · press · court · capital · fine · racket · mark · stick

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. court — for sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. mark — a grade
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. capital — a city
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — for money
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. capital — money
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. court — of a king
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bank — for money
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. court — of law
  24. bank — of a river

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