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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bore — to drill
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chest — of your body
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pop — soda
  12. track — a path
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pop — to visit
  15. chest — a box
  16. court — for sport
  17. mug — a face
  18. pop — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bore — to tire
  22. court — of a king
  23. track — a song
  24. bulb — of a plant

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