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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 · jam · wake · rock · spring · can · court · branch

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. court — of a king
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. court — for sport
  6. spring — the season
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. can — a tin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rock — music
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wake — a trail
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. court — of law
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. branch — a division
  22. can — a tin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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