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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: content · swing · foot · bank · date · rush · court · rash

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. content — the amount
  4. rush — hurry
  5. court — of law
  6. swing — music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. court — of a king
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bank — for money
  12. content — happy
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rash — a series
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. court — for sport
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. foot — the bottom

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