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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fine — all right
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. court — of law
  9. can — to be able to
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. can — a tin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bear — the animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. fork — in a road
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of a king

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