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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 116 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: fork · racket · race · bank · spring · net · cue · bulb

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. net — in sport
  3. race — humankind
  4. net — after costs
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — a contest
  8. spring — of water
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bank — for money
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bank — of a river
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — for catching
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — in a road
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fork — to eat with

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