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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 120 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: trunk · bulb · foot · fine · club · court · shower · suit

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. court — for sport
  5. fine — all right
  6. club — for golf
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fine — high quality
  10. court — of law
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. club — for dancing
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. court — of a king
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. suit — clothes
  21. club — a group
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bulb — of a plant

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