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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bank — for money
  4. court — of law
  5. capital — a city
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. court — of a king
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cell — in biology
  16. capital — money
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a dance

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