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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 116 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — for sport
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. court — of law
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. row — a line
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cue — a signal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cue — for pool
  15. row — to paddle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. press — to push
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bulb — for light
  21. vault — a safe
  22. court — of a king
  23. press — a publisher
  24. perch — for a bird

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