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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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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 to change the light ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chest — a box
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — a song
  10. track — to keep track
  11. mate — a friend
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mate — to breed
  14. court — for sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. track — a path
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. court — of law
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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