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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: object · trunk · leaves · land · rule · court · bulb · swing

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. land — ground
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. rule — government
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — to protest
  12. land — a country
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. land — to come down
  16. court — of a king
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. court — for sport
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. court — of law
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rule — a law
  24. swing — music

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