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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: leaves · club · deal · court · bulb · spell · season · cabinet

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. leaves — to go away
  2. club — a group
  3. season — of the year
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spell — a short time
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. season — in sport
  10. court — of law
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. court — of a king
  14. deal — to handle
  15. club — for dancing
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. club — for golf
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — for sport
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  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