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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. court — for sport
  3. mate — a friend
  4. dip — to sink
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. mate — a partner
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. mate — to breed
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. court — of a king
  18. march — music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bulb — for light
  22. current — of water
  23. march — the month
  24. court — of law

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