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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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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: kid · jam · chest · key · rock · court · plane · bank

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. kid — to tease
  3. chest — of your body
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bank — for money
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bank — for money
  10. rock — music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. kid — child
  13. court — for sport
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. court — of law
  16. chest — of your body
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. court — of a king
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rock — a stone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bank — of a river
  23. chest — a box
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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