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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. key — in music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — to tease
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kid — child
  12. court — of law
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. key — the most important part
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. key — for a lock
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. court — for sport

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