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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. court — of law
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ground — crushed
  7. face — part of the head
  8. court — of a king
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bank — for money
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. ground — the earth
  14. face — to confront
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ground — a position
  20. face — to point toward
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  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