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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · bulb · fine · bank · stem · bear · swing · court

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — of law
  3. march — the month
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. swing — music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. court — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. swing — in golf
  23. court — of a king
  24. bulb — of a plant

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