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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. court — for sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — of law
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bark — to shout
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wind — moving air
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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