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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. court — of law
  3. cue — for pool
  4. spell — a short time
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bank — for money
  7. season — of the year
  8. spring — the season
  9. cue — a hint
  10. court — of a king
  11. can — to be able to
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. bank — for money
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spell — letters
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. can — a tin
  18. spell — magic
  19. can — a tin
  20. court — for sport
  21. season — in sport
  22. spring — of water
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — boats

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