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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · foot · bear · perch · court · bulb · deal · pitcher

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ground — a position
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. court — of law
  14. ground — the earth
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. court — of a king
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. court — for sport

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