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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: fork · land · cue · mate · bulb · deal · court · safe

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. court — of a king
  4. fork — in a road
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cue — for pool
  12. court — for sport
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. court — of law
  15. mate — a friend
  16. land — to come down
  17. cue — a hint
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. land — a country
  21. deal — to handle
  22. cue — a signal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. land — ground

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