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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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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: rock · straw · stick · bulb · court · club · bay · mine

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rock — music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. court — of a king
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. court — of law
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. club — for golf
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. club — a group
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bulb — for light

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