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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: wound · bank · kid · fine · rush · court · mine · date

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. court — of a king
  5. fine — high quality
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bank — for money
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. fine — all right
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wound — an injury

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