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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 · court · lash · tube · bore · swing · bulb · row

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bank — of a river
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. tube — a container
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. row — a line
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — to drill
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — the underground
  20. row — to paddle
  21. swing — to play on
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — to tire

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