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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. suit — in cards
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. suit — clothes
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. swing — to play on
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mine — for digging
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. court — for sport
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. suit — to fit

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