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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. court — of a king
  6. firm — decided
  7. present — there
  8. pop — music
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. firm — steady
  11. bulb — for light
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. present — a gift
  15. mug — to rob
  16. court — of law
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mug — a face
  19. ball — a dance
  20. present — the time now
  21. ball — a great time
  22. court — for sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bulb — for light

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