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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: hand · bulb · drill · spell · jam · bank · court · rash

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bank — for money
  3. rash — a series
  4. spell — magic
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. bank — of a river
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. spell — letters
  16. drill — a practice
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rash — hasty
  20. hand — help
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bulb — of a plant

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