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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: bank · chest · face · row · staff · court · content · ruler

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bank — for money
  4. content — the amount
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bank — of a river
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. row — a line
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — for sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. chest — of your body
  13. face — to point toward
  14. chest — a box
  15. face — part of the head
  16. staff — a stick
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. chest — of your body
  20. court — of law
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. face — to confront
  23. content — happy
  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