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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pop — soda
  4. bank — of a river
  5. court — for sport
  6. pop — music
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bank — for money
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rash — a series
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bulb — for light
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rest — a break
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bank — for money
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bulb — for light

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