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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 116 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: bat · court · bank · safe · straw · bulb · sharp · suit

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. court — of a king
  3. bank — for money
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. suit — in cards
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bank — for money
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. suit — clothes
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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