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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. content — happy
  3. court — for sport
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pop — music
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. kick — in football
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pit — in a race
  14. content — the amount
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. snap — to click

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