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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. court — of a king
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. court — for sport
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. deal — to handle
  19. court — of law
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — to eat
  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