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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: bulb · court · game · bowl · spring · stick · swing · board

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bulb — for light
  11. swing — music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. board — a committee
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — to play on
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — a match
  21. court — of law
  22. spring — the season
  23. board — to get on
  24. spring — of water

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