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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. perch — the fish
  3. firm — decided
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. court — of a king
  8. bulb — for light
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. track — a path
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — all right
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — high quality
  16. drill — army training
  17. track — to keep track
  18. firm — steady
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. court — of law
  21. track — a song
  22. drill — a practice
  23. firm — a company
  24. bulb — for light

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