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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. land — a country
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of law
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fall — the season
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — to come down
  15. court — for sport
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rock — music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. court — of a king
  24. bowl — a dish

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