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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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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 · stand · craft · court · spring · lean · bulb · band

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bank — of a river
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stand — to bear
  5. court — of a king
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. craft — boats
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a music group
  11. lean — thin
  12. band — a ring
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bank — for money
  15. spring — of water
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spring — the season
  18. bulb — for light
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. court — for sport
  24. lean — to bend

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