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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. court — of law
  5. last — final
  6. hand — in cards
  7. key — the most important part
  8. net — for catching
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — to rob
  11. court — of a king
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. net — in sport
  16. key — in music
  17. last — finally
  18. hand — help
  19. court — for sport
  20. mug — a face
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. last — to go on
  23. foot — a measure
  24. mug — a cup

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