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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitch — completely
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. club — a group
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — clever

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