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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 · band · pit · lie · row · bank · swing · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — of a king
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. swing — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. row — a line
  10. swing — to play on
  11. court — for sport
  12. row — to paddle
  13. court — of law
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bank — for money
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bulb — for light

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