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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 · row · bowl · can · court · jam · rush · game

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bank — for money
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. row — a line
  11. bank — of a river
  12. game — a match
  13. can — a tin
  14. court — of a king
  15. rush — hurry
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. court — for sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. court — of law
  22. bank — for money
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. game — wild animals

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