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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.

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: mouse · club · stick · court · game · bulb · roll · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. club — a group
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. club — for dancing
  8. game — a match
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. roll — a list
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. club — for golf
  19. court — for sport
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. court — of law
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. court — of a king

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