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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. date — the fruit
  5. last — finally
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. court — of a king
  11. suit — clothes
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. suit — to fit
  15. court — of law
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. court — for sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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