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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bank — of a river
  3. capital — money
  4. court — of a king
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bank — for money
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — a short time
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — of the year
  13. bulb — for light
  14. capital — a city
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. court — for sport
  17. spell — magic
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spell — letters
  20. season — in sport
  21. court — of law
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fork — in a road

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