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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 116 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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. object — a thing
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bulb — for light
  11. object — an aim
  12. court — for sport
  13. object — to protest
  14. tube — a container
  15. game — a match
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bulb — for light
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fork — in a road
  21. court — of a king
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bowl — to roll

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