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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. cap — a hat
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. court — of a king
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. court — for sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. sharp — clever
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bulb — for light
  17. game — a match
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cap — of ice

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