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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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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: fine · court · calf · ball · bulb · march · saw · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. court — of a king
  5. march — music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. court — of law
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — rain
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ball — a great time
  13. saw — the tool
  14. march — the month
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fine — all right
  17. saw — the tool
  18. march — the month
  19. shower — to wash
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — for sport
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fine — high quality
  24. calf — a young animal

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