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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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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: snap · bulb · cue · craft · bank · court · saw · field

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. craft — boats
  4. cue — a signal
  5. court — of a king
  6. cue — for pool
  7. court — for sport
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bank — for money
  10. cue — a hint
  11. saw — the tool
  12. field — farmland
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. court — of law
  16. field — for sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. saw — the tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. field — a subject

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