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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: toast · saw · roll · ground · court · bank · rock · bass

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. court — of a king
  3. toast — bread
  4. ground — a position
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bass — low music
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. court — of law
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. bank — for money
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. court — for sport
  18. rock — music
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ground — the earth
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. bass — the fish

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