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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of a king
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. cue — for pool
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. court — of law
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a match
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — for light

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