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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. court — for sport
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. rash — a series
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — the underground
  15. court — of law
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. tube — a container
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. court — of a king
  24. bat — the animal

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