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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mate — a partner
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. capital — a city
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mate — a friend
  14. court — of law
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. capital — money
  21. court — of a king
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. court — for sport

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