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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: swing · court · trunk · bulb · jam · cue · lie · club

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for golf
  5. court — of law
  6. swing — in golf
  7. lie — to recline
  8. court — of a king
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. swing — to play on
  12. club — for dancing
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. swing — music
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. court — for sport
  24. club — a group

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