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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. row — a line
  7. rush — hurry
  8. court — of a king
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. court — of law
  12. row — to paddle
  13. board — a committee
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. dip — to sink
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a flat piece

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