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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 120 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: rush · sharp · leaves · bulb · kick · field · court · bound

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bound — tied together
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. field — for sport
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bulb — for light
  13. court — of law
  14. sharp — clever
  15. court — for sport
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. court — of a king
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. bound — certain
  24. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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