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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of a king
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — the month
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. march — the month
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. racket — a loud noise

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