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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: bound · staff · pop · bulb · bank · bat · court · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bank — for money
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bank — for money
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. court — of law
  10. staff — employees
  11. game — wild animals
  12. court — of a king
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pop — music
  15. bank — of a river
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — for sport
  20. game — a match
  21. staff — employees
  22. pop — soda
  23. bound — certain
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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