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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
468
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 · jam · stick · land · pit · present · bulb · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pit — in a race
  5. court — of a king
  6. land — ground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — a gift
  9. court — of law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hand — in cards
  15. present — there
  16. land — to come down
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. land — a country
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pit — a hole
  21. present — the time now
  22. court — for sport
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hand — help

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