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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · court · racket · chair · bank · can · roll · wave

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bank — of a river
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. court — for sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of law
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. court — of a king
  16. chair — a leader
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. can — to be able to
  24. roll — a list

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