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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: board · dip · spell · mark · court · rash · bank · sharp

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. court — of law
  3. rash — a series
  4. bank — for money
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mark — a trace
  7. spell — letters
  8. rash — hasty
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. dip — to sink
  12. board — to get on
  13. spell — a short time
  14. court — of a king
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. spell — magic
  20. bank — for money
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bank — of a river
  24. board — a committee

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