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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: court · present · jam · trunk · bank · bulb · hand · patient

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. present — there
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. present — the time now
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bank — for money
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. present — a gift
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — in cards
  17. court — for sport
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. court — of law
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. court — of a king
  24. patient — a sick person

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