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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. spring — a coil
  3. court — for sport
  4. stem — to come from
  5. court — of law
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. ground — the earth
  8. object — an aim
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spring — the season
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. object — to protest
  16. spring — of water
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. ground — a position
  22. object — a thing
  23. court — of a king
  24. bowl — to roll

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