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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 · rule · court · board · bulb · tear · arm · rock

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. court — for sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bank — for money
  7. board — a committee
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bank — for money
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. tear — to rip
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. court — of law
  17. board — to get on
  18. rule — a law
  19. rock — music
  20. rule — government
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bank — of a river
  24. court — of a king

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