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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. court — for sport
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pound — a weight
  11. court — of a king
  12. date — the fruit
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. court — of law
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bulb — for light

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