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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bulb — for light
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. craft — a skill
  9. kid — to tease
  10. club — for golf
  11. bass — the fish
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. court — of law
  15. bass — low music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. band — a ring
  22. mark — a trace
  23. band — a music group
  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