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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. track — a path
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pit — a hole
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. ground — a position
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. track — a song
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. court — of law

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