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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: present · fork · spring · bass · bay · can · court · sharp

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. can — a tin
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. present — a gift
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fork — in a road
  11. spring — of water
  12. present — the time now
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. court — of law
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bass — the fish
  19. can — a tin
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bass — low music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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