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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. court — of law
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. vault — a safe
  7. march — the month
  8. spring — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. court — of a king
  14. bass — the fish
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. spring — the season
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. march — music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spring — a coil
  22. court — for sport
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bass — low music

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