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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: fine · court · bat · lean · bulb · ground · rest · fork

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rest — a break
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. bulb — for light
  9. court — of law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fine — all right
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. court — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — of a king
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bat — for baseball

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