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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mark — a grade
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. court — for sport
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bulb — for light
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. firm — steady
  15. court — of a king
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. court — of law

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