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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — a measure
  7. court — for sport
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. branch — a division
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. deal — to handle
  15. court — of a king
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. date — the fruit
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. court — of law
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. foot — part of the body

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