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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 116 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. bulb — for light
  12. court — of law
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. track — a song
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bulb — for light
  17. track — to keep track
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. track — a path
  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