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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.

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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: stick · court · bulb · prune · stem · last · cap · wave

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cap — a hat
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. court — of law
  8. bulb — for light
  9. last — finally
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. court — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. last — final
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. last — to go on

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