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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. net — after costs
  3. court — for sport
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cap — a lid
  12. drill — a practice
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — army training
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cap — a hat
  21. net — for catching
  22. cap — of ice
  23. court — of a king
  24. dip — to sink

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