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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 120 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: bark · race · bank · ground · bass · prune · court · bay

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. court — of law
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bass — low music
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. court — for sport
  23. race — a contest
  24. bank — for money

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