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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. court — of a king
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bank — of a river
  6. rash — a series
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. craft — a skill
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. court — for sport
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — army training
  14. clip — to cut
  15. court — of law
  16. rash — hasty
  17. clip — a video
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. craft — boats
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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