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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
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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: toast · mine · ground · ruler · bulb · chest · fan · court

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. ground — a position
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bulb — for light
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. court — for sport
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. ground — the earth
  13. chest — a box
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — crushed
  17. chest — of your body
  18. court — of law
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. toast — bread
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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