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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. mug — a face
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a dance
  11. spring — the season
  12. court — of a king
  13. mug — a cup
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of law
  18. dip — to sink
  19. spring — of water
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. court — for sport
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cabinet — ministers

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