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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 116 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: court · bulb · hide · calf · pass · stem · rush · pitcher

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. court — for sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. court — of law
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. calf — a young 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