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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: bear · spring · patient · club · court · vault · shower · bank

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. club — a group
  4. court — of law
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. club — for dancing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. court — for sport
  10. club — for golf
  11. bank — for money
  12. bear — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bear — the animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. spring — the season
  20. court — of a king
  21. shower — rain
  22. spring — a coil
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. shower — to wash

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