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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · hide · march · court · cold · bound · calf · pit

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. march — the month
  9. bound — tied together
  10. pit — in a race
  11. march — music
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. march — the month
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — certain
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. court — for sport
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bulb — for light

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