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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 120 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: spring · arm · pit · present · court · suit · bear · drill

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. drill — the tool
  3. suit — to fit
  4. present — the time now
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spring — of water
  7. court — of a king
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bear — the animal
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. suit — clothes
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. present — there
  17. court — of law
  18. drill — army training
  19. bear — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pit — in a race
  22. court — for sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spring — the season

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