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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
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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 · stand · date · court · roll · fall · ruler · spring

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. court — for sport
  5. stand — to bear
  6. spring — of water
  7. court — of law
  8. spring — a coil
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. roll — a list
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fall — to drop
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fall — the season
  21. court — of a king
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spring — the season

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