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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. court — for sport
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. track — a song
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. band — a music group
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bank — for money
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. key — in music
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. track — a path
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. band — a ring
  21. stock — goods
  22. key — for a lock
  23. track — to keep track
  24. stock — shares

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