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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 120 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 · wound · stick · court · temple · pit · scale · saw

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bank — for money
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — for sport
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. court — of a king
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. pit — in a race
  13. scale — in music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. court — of law
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bank — of a river
  23. pit — a hole
  24. saw — the tool

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