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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — of ice
  8. band — a ring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. court — of law
  11. deal — to handle
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a music group
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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