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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · track · bear · bulb · racket · court

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. court — of law
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. track — a path
  6. firm — a company
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bear — the animal
  11. court — of a king
  12. track — a song
  13. firm — decided
  14. bulb — for light
  15. court — for sport
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. firm — steady
  18. track — to keep track

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