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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — of law
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. court — for sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — a measure
  16. branch — a division
  17. bat — the animal
  18. drill — army training
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rock — a stone
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. foot — part of the body

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