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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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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: rush · arm · bulb · court · bear · firm · mate · bat

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. court — of law
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bear — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. court — of a king
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. mate — to breed
  13. firm — steady
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. firm — decided
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. court — for sport
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bear — the animal

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