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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · key · court · chair · pitcher · mine · bank · drill

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. court — for sport
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. drill — army training
  10. court — of a king
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. key — the most important part
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. key — in music
  17. content — happy
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mine — for digging
  22. court — of law
  23. content — the amount
  24. drill — the tool

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