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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: key · court · bank · stand · kid · nail · spring · bulb

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spring — of water
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bank — for money
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — for money
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. kid — child
  21. spring — the season
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. court — for sport

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