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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: bulb · court · drill · mine · pound · nail · can · leaves

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. can — a tin
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. court — of law
  8. drill — the tool
  9. court — for sport
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. drill — army training
  21. mine — for digging
  22. can — a tin
  23. pound — a weight
  24. court — of a king

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