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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 120 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: bank · current · court · foot · chair · track · band · lean

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — for money
  4. lean — thin
  5. chair — a leader
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. court — of a king
  10. track — a song
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. current — electric
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. current — happening now
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. court — for sport
  18. bank — of a river
  19. court — of law
  20. band — a ring
  21. band — a music group
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. current — of water
  24. foot — a measure

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