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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bulb — for light
  3. stock — goods
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bound — obliged
  8. court — of a king
  9. bound — certain
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. stock — shares
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — a loud noise

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