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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ground — the earth
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. court — of a king
  7. ground — a position
  8. court — of law
  9. bulb — for light
  10. race — humankind
  11. court — for sport
  12. craft — a skill
  13. swing — music
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ground — crushed
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. swing — to play on
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. craft — boats
  24. trunk — of a car

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