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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 · court · club · bulb · bark · pitch · nail · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. fine — high quality
  2. bank — for money
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. club — for golf
  8. court — for sport
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fine — all right
  18. club — a group
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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