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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · land · court · club · wake · drill · arm · bear

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bear — the animal
  9. land — ground
  10. drill — a practice
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. land — to come down
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — a group
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. court — of law
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. land — a country
  21. court — for sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. court — of a king
  24. club — for dancing

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