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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · lash · track · key · tube · bear · bulb · perch

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bulb — for light
  3. key — the most important part
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — a container
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. key — for a lock
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. key — in music
  16. court — of a king
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. court — for sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. court — of law

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