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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. suit — to fit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rock — music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. spring — a coil
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. bound — certain
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — the season
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. pound — a weight
  22. rock — a stone
  23. suit — clothes
  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