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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. present — the time now
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. court — of law
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. court — of a king
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bank — of a river
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bank — for money
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. present — there
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bank — for money
  20. cell — in biology
  21. court — for sport
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — a gift

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