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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. march — the month
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. march — the month
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — for sport
  19. dip — to sink
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. march — music
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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