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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. court — for sport
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bat — the animal
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. court — of law
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. court — of a king
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. saw — the tool

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