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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: hide · court · season · land · cue · leaves · band · bulb

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. court — of a king
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. band — a music group
  5. court — of law
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a signal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. land — a country
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. band — a ring
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. season — in sport
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. land — ground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. land — to come down
  22. season — of the year
  23. bulb — for light
  24. court — for sport

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