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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spring — the season
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bulb — for light
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bulb — for light
  12. court — of a king
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. cue — a signal
  15. foot — a measure
  16. court — for sport
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spring — of water
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bark — to shout

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