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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. net — in sport
  2. spring — a coil
  3. court — of a king
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bank — of a river
  6. can — a tin
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rock — music
  9. spring — of water
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. court — of law
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bulb — for light
  15. net — after costs
  16. bank — for money
  17. court — for sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — for catching
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — the season
  23. can — to be able to
  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