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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: bank · bore · bulb · net · sharp · land · suit · game

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. game — wild animals
  7. suit — to fit
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bore — to drill
  10. land — to come down
  11. suit — clothes
  12. net — after costs
  13. game — a match
  14. land — ground
  15. net — for catching
  16. land — a country
  17. bore — to tire
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. net — in sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bank — for money

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