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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: rash · can · cap · date · land · bank · court · trunk

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. land — a country
  4. date — the fruit
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — of ice
  10. rash — hasty
  11. court — of law
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cap — a hat
  14. court — of a king
  15. rash — a series
  16. bank — of a river
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. court — for sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. date — on the calendar

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