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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. track — a song
  5. bound — obliged
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. object — an aim
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. game — wild animals
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. game — a match
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bound — tied together
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bound — certain
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. bear — the animal

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