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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: bank · bore · bear · bulb · club · saw · can · roll

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. club — a group
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. club — for golf
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — to drill
  15. can — to be able to
  16. club — for dancing
  17. roll — a list
  18. bank — for money
  19. roll — a cake
  20. bear — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. can — a tin

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