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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: bulb · bear · stick · ball · shower · mouse · court · cell

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cell — in biology
  7. court — for sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. court — of a king
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. court — of law
  22. cell — a phone
  23. shower — to wash
  24. mouse — for a computer

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