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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: game · court · jam · object · lean · bulb · pop · cue

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. object — an aim
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. court — for sport
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pop — music
  11. object — a thing
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lean — thin
  15. object — to protest
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pop — soda
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. game — wild animals

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