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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — the most important part
  5. present — there
  6. field — farmland
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. present — the time now
  10. field — a subject
  11. court — of a king
  12. present — a gift
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. court — for sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. key — in music
  21. field — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bear — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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