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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: court · shower · mouse · ground · bank · coach · vault · bulb

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. court — of a king
  7. bulb — for light
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — to wash
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bank — for money
  14. vault — a safe
  15. court — of law
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. court — for sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — a position
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bank — of a river

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