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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. court — of a king
  3. mug — a face
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wake — a trail
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — for a lock
  10. court — of law
  11. face — to confront
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. court — for sport
  14. key — in music
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mug — to rob
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mug — a cup
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bulb — for light

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