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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: roll · wound · court · mark · foot · bulb · trunk · mug

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. court — for sport
  4. foot — a measure
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bulb — for light
  8. roll — a cake
  9. court — of law
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mark — a trace
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. roll — a list
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mug — a cup
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mug — a face
  23. wound — an injury
  24. trunk — of a tree

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