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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of law
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. net — for catching
  7. court — of a king
  8. bank — for money
  9. craft — boats
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bank — of a river
  13. net — after costs
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — goods
  17. court — for sport
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. stock — shares
  24. bowl — a football final

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