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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: bank · tube · object · suit · root · row · spring · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. object — an aim
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spring — of water
  7. court — for sport
  8. bank — of a river
  9. root — of a word
  10. spring — a coil
  11. suit — in cards
  12. root — the cause
  13. bank — for money
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spring — the season
  17. row — a line
  18. object — a thing
  19. court — of a king
  20. bank — for money
  21. suit — clothes
  22. root — of a plant
  23. row — to paddle
  24. object — to protest

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