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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pop — music
  5. court — for sport
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. staff — a stick
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of law
  11. snap — to click
  12. staff — employees
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — to visit
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. pit — in a race
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a hole

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