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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
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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: court · ball · season · bore · bank · band · bay · rule

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. band — a music group
  3. season — in sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. court — for sport
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. band — a ring
  11. bank — of a river
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. season — of the year
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rule — a law
  23. rule — government
  24. bore — to drill

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