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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bulb — for light
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. staff — a stick
  11. court — for sport
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. court — of law
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. staff — employees
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pound — a weight

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