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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. degree — an amount
  3. march — the month
  4. court — for sport
  5. degree — from a university
  6. can — to be able to
  7. present — the time now
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. degree — temperature
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. march — music
  13. court — of law
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. march — the month
  18. present — a gift
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. present — there
  22. vault — a safe
  23. fork — in a road
  24. can — a tin

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