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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.

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: trunk · date · ground · bass · leaves · rest · bank · court

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rest — a break
  4. bass — low music
  5. court — for sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. date — the fruit
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. court — of a king
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. court — of law
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bank — for money
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. bass — the fish
  18. ground — crushed
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bank — for money
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ground — a position
  24. rest — what's left

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