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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spring — a coil
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bank — of a river
  7. net — in sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — to come from
  10. net — after costs
  11. spring — of water
  12. court — for sport
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — a line
  16. court — of a king
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. rock — music
  19. bank — for money
  20. court — of law
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bore — to drill
  24. net — for catching

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