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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spring — of water
  7. spell — magic
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — an aim
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spring — the season
  12. object — to protest
  13. spring — a coil
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. foot — a measure
  16. season — of the year
  17. content — happy
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — for sport
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. content — the amount

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