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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. court — of a king
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chip — for betting
  7. club — for golf
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. ball — a great time
  12. club — a group
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chip — to eat
  21. court — for sport
  22. fine — all right
  23. court — of law
  24. file — a line of people

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