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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 · bank · bowl · bound · temple · staff · wake · court

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bank — for money
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bank — for money
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — of law
  11. content — the amount
  12. court — of a king
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bound — certain
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — for sport
  17. content — happy
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bound — tied together

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