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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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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: court · pass · field · bay · bulb · tube · perch · pit

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — for sport
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. field — a subject
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. court — of law
  17. tube — a container
  18. pit — a hole
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. tube — the underground
  21. court — of a king
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. perch — the fish

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