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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: bulb · last · track · bank · sharp · game · present · court

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. track — a song
  3. bulb — for light
  4. court — of law
  5. last — finally
  6. sharp — clever
  7. present — the time now
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. game — a match
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. track — a path
  15. court — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — to keep track
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bank — for money
  20. last — final
  21. court — of a king
  22. present — a gift
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — there

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