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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: bank · rock · content · spell · march · bound · court · stand

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. content — the amount
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bound — certain
  5. march — music
  6. stand — to bear
  7. bank — of a river
  8. spell — magic
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. march — the month
  11. spell — a short time
  12. content — happy
  13. march — the month
  14. bound — tied together
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bank — for money
  17. court — for sport
  18. bound — obliged
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. court — of a king
  21. spell — letters
  22. rock — music
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — a stone

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