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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cabinet · mine · key · court · fork · bear · bulb

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. court — for sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. court — of a king
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. key — in music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. court — of law
  17. key — the most important part
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — in a road
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mine — belonging to me

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