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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spring · bulb · bank · can · mark · fork · land · dip

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fork — in a road
  5. land — ground
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. can — to be able to
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mark — a trace
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. dip — to sink
  24. spring — a coil

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