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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: court · band · bulb · leaves · key · cabinet · kick · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. court — of a king
  6. cell — a phone
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. band — a ring
  9. kick — in football
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. court — of law
  16. key — in music
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — for sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. key — the most important part
  22. band — a music group
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bulb — of a plant

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