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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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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. present — there
  5. file — a line of people
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bank — for money
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. drill — army training
  12. firm — steady
  13. file — a document
  14. court — of law
  15. present — the time now
  16. firm — a company
  17. drill — the tool
  18. firm — decided
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — a practice
  23. file — a tool
  24. present — a gift

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