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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 116 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — to handle
  4. season — in sport
  5. court — of law
  6. season — of the year
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. court — of a king
  9. track — a path
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. track — a song
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. track — to keep track
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. scale — size or range
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. court — for sport
  22. scale — in music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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