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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: court · trunk · fine · board · pitcher · bulb · jam · firm

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. court — of law
  3. board — to get on
  4. fine — high quality
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. firm — decided
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — steady
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. court — for sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — for light
  18. firm — a company
  19. board — a committee
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. court — of a king
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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