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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 120 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: rock · charge · bulb · calf · ground · cell · court · suit

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. court — for sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. charge — in control
  5. charge — electricity
  6. suit — clothes
  7. court — of a king
  8. rock — music
  9. ground — the earth
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rock — a stone
  12. ground — crushed
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. ground — a position
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. suit — to fit
  18. charge — a price
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cell — a phone
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  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